











e • o » ■ .« 




WHAT IS CALVINISM? 

or ^«vf3*l*** 

CONFESSION OFPAITH, 

IN HARMONY WITH THE BIBLE AND 
COMMON SENSE, 



IN A SERIES OP 



DIALOGUES BETWEEN A PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER 
AND A YOUNG CONVERT 



REV. WILLIAM D. v SMITH, D.U 

■ 




PHILADELPHIA: 
PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION. 

No. 265 CHESTNUT STREET. / ffitL % 






Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1854, by 

A. W. MITCHELL, M.D. 

in the Office of the Clerk of the District Court of the Eastern 

District of Pennsylvania. 



INTRODUCTION. 

There are two causes which exert a powerful in- 
fluence in rendering unpopular those doctrines usu- 
ally styled Calvinistic. One of them is radical, and 
not to be removed by reason or argument. Its seat 
is in the heart. It consists in a distaste for doctrines 
which are so humiliating, and therefore repugnant 
to our depraved nature. The only effectual remedy 
is the grace of God. When, by the renewal of our 
minds, we are brought fully and cordially to ac- 
quiesce m the Divine government, and to rejoice that 
the " Lord God Omnipotent reigneth," the essential 
elements of these doctrines will not only form a part 
of our creed, but become the nourishment of our 
bouIs and the source of our purest and most elevated 
enjoyment. 

The other cause alluded to is a misapprehension 
ot what these doctrines really are, as understood by 
those who believe them, they are often rejected 
on this ground even by pious men, who, relying upon 
the representations of uncandid and prejudiced wri- 
ters or speakers, are made to believe that they are 
dishonourable to God, and therefore not only to be re- 
pudiated, but abhorred. There are not a few, whose 
religious knowledge is small, that will scarcely listen 
with patience to Calvinistic preachers, because of 
the erroneous impression made upon their minds by 
false and slanderous statements concerning their sys- 
tem of faith. And when they do hear them, and 
nnd that no such odious doctrines are preached, they 
sometimes charge them with hypocrisy in concealing 

(iii) 



IV INTRODUCTION. 

their real sentiments. To remove these prejudices 
and to enlighten the minds of such, is an important 
object ; and hence a work which states with candor 
and correctness what these doctrines are, as held by 
their advocates, which explains, proves, and illus- 
trates them in a kind, lucid, #nd convincing manner, 
and thus commends itself to the attention and confi- 
dence of its readers, is of great and permanent value. 
The present volume we regard as such a book ; and 
we most cordially and earnestly recommend it to all 
candid and sincere inquirers after truth. Upon plain 
and unsophisticated minds, it can scarcely fail to 
make a favourable impression. We commend it, 
also, to the doubting, and even to the prejudiced (if 
any such are willing to read it), believing that a 
careful perusal of its contents will produce a bene- 
ficial result. 

Dr. Smith had served the church as a pastor, as a 
missionary among the Indians, as an editor of a re- 
ligious paper, and as a teacher of youth. For two 
or three years previous to his decease, which occurred 
in the autumn of 1848, he was a professor in " An- 
derson's Collegiate Institute" at New Albany, Indi- 
ana, where his services were highly appreciated. 
Only a few days before his death, the honorary de- 
gree of D. D. was conferred upon him by the trus- 
tees of his Alma Mater, Washington College, Pa. As 
a preacher, he was eminently scriptural. His man- 
ners were plain and unaffected ; his temper sweet and 
equable ; his conversation agreeable and edifying. 
He was, in short, " an Israelite, indeed, in whom was 
no guile/' His departure from the world was peace- 
ful and happy. Many tears were shed over his grave, 
and his memory will be long embalmed in the affec- 
tions of his numerous friends. Our prayer is that 
this volume may perpetuate his name and his useful- 
ness to many generations. It is worthy of a plaee 
in every Christian family. James Wood. 



INDEX. 



Introduction 

Misrepresentations of Calvinism 

Decrees of God 

Decrees of God continued 

Election .... 

Election continued 

Original Sin . . 

Free Grace 

Good Works 

Inability 

Free Will 

Effectual Calling . 

Sinless Perfection 

Sinless Perfection continued 

Perseverance 

Perseverance continued 

Admission to the Church . 

Church Government 

Bible [Republicanism 

Bible Presbyterianism . 

Primitive Presbyterianism 

Presbyterianism of the Reformers 



PAGE 

7 

13 

28 

39 

49 

62 

75 

87 

102 

115 

128 

140 

151 

161 

174 

186 

200 

212 

221 

231 

241 

253 



(v) 



WHAT IS CALVINISM? 



DIALOGUE I. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Convert — I have called this evening to 
converse with you on a subject, which has 
of late occupied my mind very much. I 
have recently, as you are aware, through 
divine grace, had my mind very seriously 
exercised on the subject of religion, and 
now have hopes that I have experienced a 
gracious change, and have become a child 
of God — consequently, I have felt desirous 
of connecting myself * with some religious 
society. As it was through the instru- 
mentality of Presbyterian ministers I was 
first led to see my lost condition, and ulti- 
mately to cast myself on Christ for salva- 
tion, I had a preference for that church. 
But, I have been told, you believe such 
dreadful doctrines, that I have been led to 
doubt what would be duty. 

' (7) 



8 INTRODUCTION. 

Minister. — What are the dreadful doc- 
trines, of our church, which make you 
hesitate ? 

Con. — I have been told, you believe that 
God, by an unchangeable and arbitrary 
decree, has divided the human family into 
two classes, elect and reprobate — that the 
elect, he has, from eternity, decreed to 
save, let them live as they may. No mat- 
ter how ungodly, or careless they are, they 
will all certainly be saved. But the rep- 
robate class are created for the purpose 
only of eternal damnation, which God has 
so arbitrarily decreed, that no matter how 
earnestly and diligently they may seek 
salvation, they must be lost. These, with 
a great many other similar doctrines, such 
as infant damnation, &£., I have been told, 
are the doctrines of the Presbyterian 
church, to which I must give my assent 
before I could be admitted as a mem- 
ber. 

Min. — Did any member of our church 
give you this representation of our faith 
and practice ? 

Con. — No, sir. I had them from a neigh- 
bour, a member of the Methodist church, 
who has -manifested considerable interest 
in my case, and expressed his regret that 
I would even attend a church, where such 
doctrines are held and taught. 



INTBODUCTION. 9 

Min. — Did you ever hear such, doctrines 
advanced in our church, by any one ? 

Con. — No, sir. 

Min. — I believe no one has ever heard 
such doctrines advanced by any Presbyte- 
rian; and I have often been surprised at 
the pertinacity with which such misrepre- 
sentations are insisted upon, as being the 
doctrines of our church. Indeed, I have 
rarely heard or seen our doctrines stated 
in their true light, by any of our oppo- 
nents. They uniformly make some gross 
misrepresentation of them, such as you 
mention, and then hold up to odium and 
ridicule, the creatures of their own mis- 
guided, or malignant fancies. It reminds 
me very forcibly of the infidel, who, in 
order to show his malignant hatred of the 
Bible, sewed it up "in the skin of an ani- - 
mal, and endeavoured to set his dogs on 
it. So our doctrines are always dressed 
up in something that does not belong to 
them, before any attempt is made to excite 
odium against them. ' These misrepresen- 
tations, moreover, are often made under 
circumstances which preclude all excuse 
on the ground of ignorance. A few 
weeks ago, in preaching a sermon which 
involved the doctrine of innate depravity, 
I took occasion to mention the ground on 
which we believed in the salvation of in- 



10 INTRODUCTION. 

fants — that it was not because we believed 
them holy, and without sin ; but, because 
we believed they were sinful, and would 
be saved, through the imputed righteous- 
ness of Christ. A few days afterwards it 
was told with a great deal of affected, pi- 
ous horror, that I had preached the awful 
doctrine of infant damnation. 

Con. — Such things I know have been 
done, and this led me, at first, to suspect 
that the representations I had of your 
doctrines were not true; but my neigh- 
bour gave me a book, which professes to 
give extracts from your standard writers, 
and the Confession of Faith of your 
church, in which I find many things to 
confirm his statements. It was this that 
staggered me. I could not think that any 
one would deliberately publish falsehoods ; 
and yet I could hardly believe, that such 
dreadful doctrines as I find there stated, 
were in reality the doctrines of your church ; 
and, as I had not access to the writings 
from which these extracts are said to be 
taken, and as I wish to make up my mind 
deliberately on the subject, and act intelli- 
gently, I wished to make known to you 
my difficulties, having confidence that they 
would be met and treated in a spirit of 
candour and truth. 



INTRODUCTION. 11 

Min. — I thank you for your confidence, 
and hope you will find it has not been 
misplaced. What is the book that your 
neighbour gave you, in which you have 
found those doctrines that you say have 
been charged upon us ? 

Con. — It is a volume of " Doctrinal 
Tracts, published by order of the General 
Conference" of the Methodist church. 

Min. — Are you at liberty to let me ex- 
amine it? 

Con. — I presume so. I will hand it to 
you, and will call again to-morrow even- 

Min. — I will examine it; and, if I find 
our doctrines truly stated, I hope I shall 
be able to show very clearly, that they are 
the doctrines of the Bible, and of com- 
mon sense. I wish you to understand, 
however, that we are not responsible for 
every expression that may be found in the 
writings of any individual, though we may 
approve of his works in the main ; and 
he may be classed among our standard 
writers. It is only our Confession of 
Faith that we adopt as a whole, as con- 
taining the system of doctrines taught in 
the Bible. 

Con. — Some of the extracts are from 
the Confession of Faith of your church. 



12 INTRODUCTION. 

Min. — Very well ; all such I am bound 
to defend, and hope to be able to show 
you, that the Bible, the Confession of Faith, 
and common sense, are in perfect accord- 
ance with each other. 



DIALOGUE II. 

MISREPRESENTATIONS OF CALVINISM. 

Convert. — Since I saw you, I have been 
examining, to some extent, the Confession 
of Faith of your church, and find it cor- 
responds with my own views of doctrine 
in the main, though I find some things to 
which I cannot fully subscribe. But, when 
I look at the Scriptural references, I am 
forced to believe they are taught in the 
Bible, and am constrained to leave them, 
as things I cannot understand. I do not, 
however, find in it, except in one or two 
places, anything like the representations 
I have had of it from others, or the dread- 
ful doctrines quoted in the book I gave 
you. Have you examined it ? 

Minister. — I have given it a cursory ex- 
amination, and have been veiy much sur- 
prised that such misrepresentations, and 
dishonest and even false quotations, should 
be put forth and palmed upon the commu- 
nity, under the sanction and by the au- 
thority of a church, that has the name of 
being evangelical/"" Had it been done by 
2 (13) 



14 MISREPBESENTATIONS OF CALVINISM. 

Universalists, or infidels, it would hardly 
have been thought worthy of notice ; but, 
when I see it is "published by order of the 
General Conference" of the Methodist 
church, I cannot but regret, that that body 
would sanction, by their authority and in- 
fluence, the publication and wide circula- 
tion of a work, characterized by such an 
entire want of candour and honesty, and 
containing so many palpable misstate- 
ments. 

Con. — Are any of its quotations incor- 
rect? 

Min. — There is scarcely a single quota- 
tion correct, so far as I have been able to 
examine it. The first is a quotation from 
our Confession of Faith, chapter 3, which 
I find on page 8. It pretends to quote the 
language of the Confession, but it gives 
nothing more than a small part of the lan- 
guage, so garbled as to give it an entirely 
different meaning. The quotation is as 
follows : " God from all eternity did un- 
changeably ordain whatsoever comes to 
pass." Now, let me read the language of 
the Confession : "God from all eternity 
did, by the most wise and holy counsel of 
his own will, freely and unchangeably or- 
dain whatsoever comes to pass ; yet so, as 
thereby neither is God the author of sin ; 
nor is violence offered to the will of the 



MISREPRESENTATIONS OF CALVINISM. 15 

creatures; nor is the liberty or contin- 
gency of second causes taken away, but 
rather established." I will, at another 
time, endeavour to show you, that this is 
the doctrine of the Bible, and of common 
sense. At present, it will be sufficient to 
say, that, as you perceive, whilst it asserts 
God's wise and holy purpose respecting 
"all things," yet it says, also, that he has 
"so" ordained respecting them, that "he 
is not the author of sin;" that it does not 
offer any "violence" or constraint "to the 
will of the creatures," and in a way that 
"establishes," rather than takes away, 
"the liberty, or contingency, of second 
causes." So, you perceive, that when all 
these saving clauses are taken away from 
the language of the Confession, it has a 
meaning entirely different from that which 
is intended. 

Con. — I perceive the quotation is exceed- 
ingly unfair and dishonest. 

Min. — On the san\e page is another, 
equally unfair, respecting the finally im- 
penitent. It reads thus: "The rest of 
mankind God was pleased, for the glory 
of his sovereign power over his creatures, 
to pass by and ordain them to dishonour 
and wrath." Now, hear the language of 
the Confession: "The rest of mankind, 
God was pleased, according to the un- 



16 MISREPRESENTATIONS OF CALVINISM. 

searchable counsel of his own will, where- 
by he extendeth or withholdeth mercy as 
he pleaseth, for the glory of his sovereign 
power over his creatures, to pass by and 
ordain them to dishonour and wrath for 
their sm, to the praise of his glorious jus- 
tice." You perceive that here, also, the 
language of the Confession is so garbled, 
as to give it a different meaning altogether. 
"Whilst it asserts that God " passes by" 
the finally impenitent part of mankind, 
(that is, he did not determine to save 
them,) and " ordains them to dishonour and 
wrath," yet it is "for their sin," and in a 
manner that will redound ." to the praise 
of his glorious justice." But all this is 
purposely left out of the quotation, with 
the design of making it teach the dreadful 
doctrine of eternal reprobation — that God 
damns man from all eternity, without any 
reference to his sin, or any reason except 
his arbitrary decree. 

Con. — It is surprising that such things 
should be published as true, and circu- 
lated with so much confidence. The neigh- 
bour who gave me the book, said, that I 
might depend on it as giving, truly, the 
views of Presbyterians, and that he had 
the best opportunity of knowing what 
their views were, as he was brought up 



MISREPRESENTATIONS OF CALVINISM. 17 

under Presbyterian instruction, and had 
been taught the catechism in his youth. 

Min. — -As an evidence that he was either 
unacquainted with the catechism, or with 
the contents of the book, I will refer you 
to another quotation, which I find on page 
195. It professes to be from the " Assem- 
bly's Catechism, chapter 5." Now, as you 
say you have been looking a little at the 
Confession of Faith, you have perceived 
that the catechisms are not divided into 
chapters ; and, where to find the fifth chap- 
ter of the Assembly's catechism, we will 
have to ask " the General Conference," by 
whose order the book has been published, 
who should have known, at least, that 
there were chapters in the catechism, be- 
fore they referred us to one of them. But 
you will, perhaps, be surprised to learn, 
that there are not only no chapters in the 
catechism, but no such language as is 
quoted. The quotation is as follows : " The 
almighty power of God extends itself to 
the first fall, and all other sins of angels 
and men." Now, there is no such lan- 
guage, or anything like it, anywhere in 
either of our catechisms, nor is there any- 
thing anywhere in the Confession, to af- 
ford the least ground for a sentiment so 
grossly blasphemous as this is made to be, 
in the connection in which it stands. It 
2* 



18 MISREPRESENTATIONS OF CALVINISM. 

is in Tract number 8, entitled, "A Dia- 
logue between a Predestinarian and his 
Friend," in which the Predestinarian is 
represented as speaking the language of 
Calvinists, to prove that God impels men 
to sin ; and, then, this quotation is given, 
to prove that our catechism teaches, that 
God's almighty power is exerted in com- 
pelling men to sin. On page 194, is an- 
other quotation of the same kind, profess- 
ing to be from the " Assembly's Catechism, 
chapter 3." But the third chapter of the 
catechism will be as difficult to find as the 
fifth. 

Con. — But, is there not something, in 
some other part of the Confession, to give 
a semblance of truth to the quotation ? 

Min. — Chapter 5, section 4, of the Con- 
fession, thus speaks of God's providence : 
" The almighty power, unsearchable wis- 
dom, and infinite goodness of God, so far 
manifest themselves in his providence, that 
it extendeth itself even to the first fall, and 
all other sins of angels and men ; and that, 
not by a bare permission, but such as hath 
joined with it a most wise and powerful 
bounding, and otherwise ordering and gov- 
erning them, in a manifold dispensation, 
to his own holy ends, yet so as the sinful- 
ness thereof proceedeth only from the 
creature, and not from God, who, being 



MISREPRESENTATIONS OF CALVINISM. 19 

most holy and righteous, neither is, nor 
can be, the author, or approver of sin." 

Now, if this was the passage that was 
intended by the quotation, it is as dishon- 
est as if they had made the Confession 
speak the language of Aristotle. The 
passage, as you perceive, speaks of the 
"almighty power" of God, as exercised 
in his universal providence, restraining 
and governing the sinful actions " of men 
and angels," and overruling them for good, 
by a " wise and powerful bounding." And 
who but an atheist will deny this ? It is 
so plain a doctrine of common sense, that 
I need hardly stay to reason about it; and 
it is found on almost every page of the 
Bible. The wickedness of Satan, in se- 
ducing our first parents, as well as their 
sin, have been, by his " almighty power, 
unsearchable wisdom and goodness," over- 
ruled for good, and "governed to his own 
holy ends." So, also, the wickedness of 
Satan in the case of » Job, as well as the 
sins of the betrayer and crucifiers of the 
Saviour. 

Con.— It is certainly a plain dictate of 
common sense, as well as of the Bible, 
that God overrules all things, and governs 
the wicked, as well as the righteous. The 
Psalmist says, in one place, that he makes 
the wrath of man to praise him, and the 



20 MISREPRESENTATIONS OF CALVINISM, 

remainder of their wrath he restrains. 
And I was struck with the conciseness 
and beauty of the language of the Con- 
fession, in stating this important doctrine. 
But, that any one would so garble the 
passage, as to make it teach the doctrine 
that God's "almighty power' ' is exerted 
in compelling men to sin, is very strange. 
But, I observed, that the book gives quo- 
tations from Calvin, Twisse, Zuinglius, 
Toplady, and others. Are these quotations 
equally incorrect ? 

Min. — I have not examined any of the 
writers quoted, but Calvin and Toplady. 
But, I find the quotations from these, are 
of the same character with those from the 
Confession of Faith. On page 8, I find a 
reference to Calvin's Institutes, chapter 
21, section 1. Calvin's Institutes consists 
of four books, and these books are divided 
into chapters and sections. As the par- 
ticular book is not referred to in the quo- 
tation, I suppose it must be the third that 
is intended, as none of the others contain 
twenty-one chapters. I have examined 
chapter 21, section 1, of book 3, and can 
find no such language as is quoted, nor 
anything like it. And, lest there might 
be a typographical error in the reference, 
I examined sections 2 and 3, of the same 
chapter, and section 1 of every other chap- 



MISREPRESENTATIONS OF CALVINISM. 21 

ter in the whole work, and can find no- 
thing of the kind. On page 97, there is 
another reference to Calvin's Institutes, 
chap. 18, sec. 1. As the particular book 
is not referred to, I have examined chap. 
18, and sec. 1, of books 1, 3, and 4, the 
only ones containing 18 chapters, and can 
find no language of the kind ; and am led 
to believe, that there is no such language 
in the whole work. The quotation is as 
follows: "I say, that by the ordination 
and will of God, Adam fell. God would 
have him to fall. Man is blinded by the 
will and commandment of God. "We re- 
fer the causes of hardening us to God. 
The highest, or remote causes of harden- 
ing, is the will of God." Book 1st, chap. 
18, treats of the manner in which " God 
uses the agency of the impious, and in- 
clines their minds to execute his judg- 
ments, yet without the least stain to his 
perfect purity' ' — and, though Calvin uses 
some expressions that J would prefer to 
have expressed differently, yet no such 
language as the quotation, or anything 
bearing its import, is to be found. 

Con. — Could you find none of the quo- 
tations referred to ? 

Min. — On page 194, I find a reference 
to " Calvin's Institutes, Book 1, chap. 16, 
sec. 3," in the following language: "No- 



22 MISREPRESENTATIONS OF CALVINISM. 

thing is more absurd than to think any- 
thing at all is done but by the ordination 
of God." In the place cited, there is no 
such language, or anything like it ; but, in 
sec. 8, I find Calvin speaking of Augus- 
tine, who, he says, " shows that men are 
subject to the providence of God, and go- 
verned by it, assuming as a principle, that 
nothing could be more absurd than for 
anything to happen independently of the 
ordination of God, because it would hap- 
pen at random." I presume this was the 
passage intended, but you perceive the 
exceeding unfairness of the quotation. 
Calvin is speaking of God's providence, 
which overrules and directs everything, 
and quotes approvingly the sentiments of 
Augustine, that nothing happens at ran- 
dom, as if God had no purpose respecting 
it. But the quotation makes Calvin teach, 
that God had so ordained all things, that 
he is the author of sin. 

Another quotation, equally unfair, I find 
on the same page ; and here, for the first 
time, I find the reference correct, though 
the language is garbled and misrepre- 
sented. It is in Book 1, chap. 16, sec. 3. 
The quotation is as follows : " Every ac- 
tion and motion of every creature, is so 
governed by the hidden counsel of God, 
that nothing can come to pass but what 



MISREPRESENTATIONS OP CALVINISM. 23 

was ordained by him." This is made to 
apply to the actions of men, which would 
be unfair, even if the language were quoted 
correctly ; for Calvin is speaking of God's 
providence over his irrational creatures, 
and arguing against " infidels who transfer 
the government of the world from God to 
the stars;" and adds, as encouragement to 
Christians under God's government, "that 
in the creatures there is no erratic power, 
action or motion, but that they are so go- 
verned by the secret counsel of God, that 
nothing can happen but what is subject to 
his knowledge and decreed by his will." 
So you perceive, that the language is not 
only widely different from the quotation, 
but it is on another subject altogether. 
On page 176, I find a reference to Top- 
lady's work on Predestination, and the 
following sentiment given as his : " The 
sum of all is this : One in twenty, suppose 
of mankind, are elected; nineteen in 
twenty are reprobated/ The elect shall be 
saved, do what they will. The reprobate 
shall be damned, do what they can." Then 
follow some garbled extracts from Mr. 
Toplady's work ; and an attempt is made, 
by distorting their meaning, to prove, by 
inference, that such is his meaning. I 
need scarcely tell you, that neither Mr. 
Toplady, nor any other Calvinistic writer, 



24 MISREPRESENTATIONS OF CALVINISM. 

ever penned such, a sentiment. It is a 
gratuitous forgery. The history of it is 
this : Mr. Toplady published a work on 
Predestination, which, though it contained 
unguarded expressions, proved the doc- 
trine so clearly, that Arminians felt it was 
dangerous to their system. To bring it 
into disrepute, Mr. John Wesley published 
a pretended abridgment of it, which was, 
in fact, only a gross caricature of the 
w T ork ; and yet he put Mr. Toplady's name 
to it, as if it was the genuine work. To 
his garbled extracts, he added interpola- 
tions of his own, to give them a different 
meaning, and then closed the whole with 
the following sentiment : " The sum of all 
is this : One in twenty, suppose of man- 
kind, are elected; nineteen in twenty are 
reprobated. The elect shall be saved, do 
what they will: the reprobate shall be 
damned, do what they can. Reader, be- 
lieve this, or be damned. Witness my 
hand. A. T." Every word of this was 
a forgery of his own. And yet, he affixes 
the initials of Mr. Toplady's name, with 
a " witness my hand," to make his read- 
ers believe that it was, in reality, Mr. T.'s 
language. You will find this, with other 
facts in the case, stated at large, in Mr. 
Toplady's letter to Mr. Wesley on the sub- 
ject, appended to a later edition of his 



MISREPRESENTATIONS OF CALVINISM. 25 

work. Such facts need no comment. The 
tract in which I find the sentiment again 
ascribed to Mr. Toplady, was evidently 
written with a design to screen Mr. Wesley. 
But such things cannot be excused, in any 
way, to hide their dishonesty, when the 
facts are known. 

Con. — Is this the character of the quo- 
tations generally? 

Min. — So far as I have examined, they 
are generally of this character. I have 
marked ten or twelve more, which you 
can examine for yourself, so far as Calvin's 
Institutes are concerned. I have not, at 
present, an opportunity of examining the 
other works quoted ; but, from the char- 
acter of their authors, I must believe they 
are as grossly misrepresented as Calvin, 
Toplady, and the Confession of Faith.* 

* AVhat I have said of the " Doctrinal Tracts," has 
occasioned some surprise. Some have even doubted 
its truth. They think it hardly possible, that the 
Methodist Church would Ibe guilty of publishing 
such misrepresentations. If the reader will take 
the trouble to examine the " Doctrinal Tracts," (the 
edition published in New York in 1850,) he will find 
the quotations true to the letter. And he will find, 
also, that the one half of their enormities has not 
been exposed. Witness the following, on page 169 : 
" This doctrine (Predestination) represents our Bles- 
sed Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God 
the Father, full of grace and truth, as a hypocrite, a 

3 



26 MISKEPEESENTATIONS OF CALVINISM, 

But, be that as it may, we are not respon- 
sible for the opinions of either of them, 
and are therefore not bound to defend 
them. But, as it respects the Confession 
of Faith, the case is different. For all its 
doctrines we are responsible. 

Con. — I would be glad if my mind could 
be relieved of the difficulty under which 
it labours, respecting some of those doc- 
trines. I am at a loss to reconcile the ex- 
pressions that " God has foreordained what- 
soever comes to pass," and a yet so that he 
is not the author of sin," &c. 

deceiver of the people, a man void of sincerity." 
And page 170 : " It represents the most holy God as 
worse than the devil, as both more false, more cruel, 
and more unjust." And again, page 172: " One 
might say to our adversary, the devil, ' thou fool, why 
dost thou roar about any longer ? Thy lying in wait 
for souls, is as needless and useless as our preaching. 
Hearest thou not that God hath taken thy work out 
of thy hands ? And that he doeth it much more 
effectually ? * * Thou temptest; He forceth us to be 
damned. * * * Hearest thou not that God is the 
devouring lion, the destroyer of souls, the murderer 
of men V " &c. And page 173 : " how would the 
enemy of God and man, rejoice to hear that these 
things are so ! * * * How would he lift up his voice 
and say, * * * ' Flee from the face of this God, or 
ye shall utterly perish. * * * Ye cannot flee from an 
omnipresent Almighty tyrant. * * * Sing, hell. 
* * * Let all the sous of hell shout for joy/ w &c. 
Perhaps I owe an apology to the reader for quoting 
such language. 



MISREPRESENTATIONS OF CALVINISM. 27 

Min. — I think them perfectly reconcila- 
ble on the plain principles of common 
sense. But we had perhaps better defer 
this subject until to-morrow evening. 

Con. — I will be glad to embrace the op- 
portunity, at any time you may have lei- 
sure. 



DIALOGUE III. 



DECREES OF GOD. 



Minister. — I think you mentioned, in 
our last conversation, that one difficulty 
under which your mind laboured respect- 
ing the doctrine of divine decrees, was, 
that it necessarily made God the author 
of sin. 

Convert. — Yes, sir. I cannot see if God 
has, "from all eternity, foreordained what- 
soever comes to pass," without any excep- 
tion, how it can be that he is not the 
author of all evil as well as good. 

Min. — The doctrine is not without its 
difficulties ; and, though some of these 
may be removed by a proper understand- 
ing of it, yet when we attempt to follow 
it out in all its consequences, as with every- 
thing else revealed respecting Jehovah, 
we come to a point at which we are com- 
pelled to stop; and, we must, with the 
docility of children, receive what is told 
us, though we cannot comprehend it. The 
doctrine, however, to a certain extent, is 
very simple and plain. All admit that 
(28) 



DECREES OF GOD. 29 

God is the author and disposer of all 
things. Nothing takes place except by 
his agency or permission; or, in other 
words, nothing can take place, except 
what he does, or permits to be done. The 
Bible represents his overruling Providence 
as extending to all events, however small ; 
the fall of a sparrow, or the loss of a hair. 
He rules the wicked, as well as the right- 
eous ; and his restraining hand is over all 
in such a way, that it does not infringe 
upon human liberty. If this were not the 
case, you perceive, it would be useless for 
us to pray that God would restrain the 
wicked in their designs against the Church, 
or in any other respect; and, indeed, it 
would close the mouth of prayer almost 
entirely, to believe God either could not, 
or did not govern all things, both great 
and small. Now, though sin is hateful to 
God, it constantly takes place in his gov- 
ernment; and, it is atheism to say, he 
could not prevent it ; for he is not God, if 
he cannot govern the world. We must, 
therefore, conclude, he permits it, for rea- 
sons unknown to us. 

Con. — That is very plain. To say he 
could not govern and overrule all things, 
according to his pleasure, would deprive 
him of his character as infinite ; and, to 
say that he refuses to do it, and leaves the 
3* 



30 DECREES OF GOD. 

world to manage itself, is not only con- 
trary to the Bible, but is foolishly absurd. 
But, what connection has this with the 
doctrine of decrees ? 

Min. — God, in his providence, fulfills his 
decrees; or, as the Bible expresses it, 
"what his hand and counsel determined 
before to be done" — Acts iv. 28. Hence, 
our catechism says, that " God executeth 
his decrees in the works of creation and 
providence." His providence and decrees 
are co-extensive ; that is, what he does, or 
permits to be done, in his providence, he 
always designed to do or permit in his 
purpose. This is as plain a proposition as 
the other, and equally consistent with com- 
mon sense. "When he created the world, 
he of course did it from design; that is, 
he did not do it by chance, but he de- 
signed to make the world just as he did 
make it. Now, when did he form that 
design ? Did he form the design of crea- 
ting the world, just at the time it was done, 
or had he it before ? If the design was 
formed then, he is subject to form new de- 
signs, and is therefore changeable ; for, it 
must have been, that he saw some reason 
for creating a world which he did not see 
before, or some motive operated which 
did not before. He must have become 
more wise, more mighty, or benevolent, or 



DECREES OF GOD. 31 

have seen something in a new light, which 
induced him to adopt the new design of 
creating the world. But this, you per- 
ceive, is blasphemy; for it would make 
him both finite and changeable. Then, 
we are driven to the conclusion, that he 
must have had the design from eternity. 
Now, the same reasoning, applied to any- 
thing he does in creation or providence, 
will issue in the very same conclusions. 
If he convert a sinner to-day, he does it 
from design. But, when did he form the 
design ? Here, you perceive, we run into 
the same necessity of concluding that the 
design was eternal, as in the case of the 
creation of the world. The same is true 
with regard to what he permits. He per- 
mitted our first parents to fall. He per- 
mitted Judas to betray the Saviour. He 
permitted persecution to arise in the 
Church, under Popery, &c. Did he not 
know our first parents would fall, when he 
created them ? This, all admit. If, then, 
he knew they would fall, he determined 
to permit them; that is, he determined 
not to prevent them; and, it is in this 
sense, I use the term permission. Then, 
if he knew from eternity they would fall, 
he determined, or decreed, from eternity, 
to permit them. So with all sin which he 
sees fit not to prevent. He knew from 



32 DECREES OF GOD. 

eternity it would take place, and decreed 
from eternity to permit it. So we must 
either admit that what God does or per- 
mits to be done, he always designed to do 
or permit — or deny the perfections of his 
character. 

Con. — But is this permission a decree ? 

Min. — It is as much a decree as any- 
thing else. To decree, is nothing more 
than to determine beforehand, or to fore- 
ordain ; and, to resolve, or determine to 
do or permit anything, is to decree it in 
that sense. The word decree, in the sense 
in which it is used in the Bible, and the- 
ology, signifies, "to determine the cer- 
tainty of a future event, by positive agency 
or permission.' ' That which is determined 
to be done, is decreed ; and that which is 
determined to be permitted, is also de- 
creed, when there is power to prevent it; 
because, when it is known, certainly, that 
it will be done unless prevented, and there 
is a determination not to prevent it, it is 
rendered as certain as if it were decreed 
to be done by positive agency. In the 
one case, the event is rendered certain by 
agency put forth ; and, in the other case, 
it is rendered equally certain by agency 
withheld. It is an unchangeable decree 
in both cases. The sins of Judas, and the 
crucifiers of the Saviour, were as un- 



DECREES OF GOD. 33 

changeably decreed, permissively, as the 
coming of the Saviour into the world was 
decreed positively. From this you can 
perceive the consistency of the Confession 
of Faith with common sense, when it says, 
that " God from all eternity did, by the 
most wise and holy counsel of his own 
will, freely and unchangeably, foreordain 
whatsoever comes to pass," &c. You per- 
ceive, also, that this is clearly reconcilable 
with the following sentiment, that "he is 
not the author of sin," &c. 

Con. — Still, however, as God is the au- 
thor of all, and the originator of the plan, 
does it not still make him the author of 
sin, in a certain sense ? 

Min. — His being the author of the plan, 
does not make him the author of the sin 
that enters into his plan, though he saw 
fit not to prevent it. Perhaps I can make 
this point, and some others connected with 
it, more plain by an illustration. 

Suppose to yourself ; a neighbour who 
keeps a distillery or dram shop, which is a 
nuisance to all around — neighbours col- 
lecting, drinking, and fighting on the Sab- 
bath, with consequent misery and distress 
in families, &c. Suppose, further, that I 
am endowed with certain foreknowledge, 
and can see, with absolute certainty, a 
chain of events, in connection with a plan 



34 DECREES OF GOD. 

of operations which I have in view, for 
the good of that neighbourhood. I see 
that by preaching there, I will be made 
the instrument of the conversion, and 
consequent reformation, of the owner of 
the distillery, and I therefore determine 
to go. Now, in so doing, I positively de- 
cree the reformation of the man ; that is, 
I determine to do what renders his re- 
formation certain, and I fulfill my decree 
by positive agency. But, in looking a 
little further in the chain of events, I dis- 
cover, with the same absolute certainty, 
that his drunken customers will be filled 
with wrath, and much sin will be commit- 
ted, in venting their malice upon him and 
me. They will not only curse and blas- 
pheme God and religion, but they will 
even burn his house, and attempt to burn 
mine. Now, you perceive, that this evil, 
which enters into my plan, is not charge- 
able upon me at all, though I am the au- 
thor of the plan which, in its operations, 
I know will produce it. Hence, it is plain, 
that any intelligent being may set on foot 
a plan, and carry it out, in which he knows, 
with absolute certainty, that evil will enter, 
and yet he is not the author of the evil, or 
chargeable with it in any way. 

Con. — But, if he have the power to pre- 



DECREES OF GOD. 35 

vent the evil, and do not, is he not charge- 
able with it ? 

Min. — In the case supposed, if I had 
power to prevent the evil, yet I might see 
fit to permit it, and yet not be chargeable 
with it. Suppose I had power to prevent 
those wicked men from burning their 
neighbour's house ; yet, in looking a little 
further in the chain of events, I discover, 
that if they be permitted, they will take 
his life ; and, I see, moreover, that if his 
life be spared, he will now be as notorious 
for good as he was for evil, and will prove 
a rich blessing to the neighbourhood and 
society. I, therefore, permit them to do 
as they please. They, consequently, burn 
his house, and come with the design of 
burning mine ; but, I have things arranged, 
to have them arrested and confined in 
prison, whereby they will be prevented 
from taking their neighbour's life, which 
they otherwise would, and he is spared for 
the great good of the community. There- 
fore, upon the whole plan, I determine to 
act ; and, in so doing, I positively decree 
the reformation of that man, and, the con- 
sequent good ; and, I permissively decree 
the wicked actions of the others ; yet, it 
is very plain, that I am not, in any way, 
chargeable with their sins. Now, in one 
or other of these ways, God " has foreor- 



36 DECREES OF GOD. * 

dained whatsoever comes to pass." This, 
as yon know, is the simple language of 
our catechism, which has been so long 
and loudly proclaimed as the doctrine of 
fatality ; worse than infidelity ; originat- 
ing in hell, &c. 

Con. — The distinction you make be- 
tween positive and permissive decrees, re- 
lieves my mind entirely ; and, I do not see 
how anything else can be believed by any 
one who believes in the sovereignty of 
God, as the author and ruler of the uni- 
verse. And, if this be the doctrine of 
your church on the subject, it is surprising 
that such gross misrepresentations of it 
are so industriously circulated, by profess- 
ing Christians. They surely do not un- 
derstand it. Is this view of it given 
plainly in the Confession of Faith ? 

Min. — I have never seen it stated in any 
other work so clearly and concisely, as it 
is in the Confession of Faith. Chap. 3, 
sec. 1, which asserts the doctrine of de- 
crees, says expressly, that God has "so" 
decreed all things, that he is " not the au- 
thor of sin, nor is violence offered to the 
will of the creatures, nor is the liberty or 
contingency of second causes taken away, 
but rather established." Chapter 5, sec- 
tion 4, thus speaks : " The almighty power, 
unsearchable wisdom, and infinite good- 



DECREES OF GOD. 37 

ness of God, so far manifest themselves 
in his providence, that it extendeth itself 
to the first fall, and all other sins of men 
and angels, and that, not by a bare per- 
mission, but such as hath joined with it a 
most wise and powerful bounding, and 
otherwise ordering and governing of them, 
in a manifold dispensation, to his own holy 
ends, yet so as the sinfulness thereof pro- 
ceedeth only from the creature, and not 
from God, who, being most holy and 
righteous, neither is nor can be the author 
or approver of sin." Here, you perceive, 
the view I gave is stated in as plain lan- 
guage as could be. used. But, further, 
chap. 6, sec. 1 : " Our first parents, being 
seduced by the subtlety and temptation of 
Satan, sinned in eating the forbidden fruit. 
This, their sin, God was pleased, according 
to his wise and holy counsel, to permit, 
having purposed to order it for his own 
glory." So, you perceive, this plain com- 
mon sense doctrine is the doctrine of the 
Confession of Faith. It now only re- 
mains for me to show, that it is the doc- 
trine of the Bible ; for, however reasona- 
ble it may appear, if it be not found there, 
I will give it up. 

Con. — I will be glad to avail myself of 
further instruction on this point, at an- 
other time. I have an engagement this 
4 » 



38 DECREES OF GOD. 

evening, that renders it necessary for me 
to deny myself the pleasure now. Before 
I leave, however, there is one objection 
which has arisen in my mind, which I 
would be glad to have removed. If God 
permitted evil to come into the world, in 
order that he might overrule it for good, 
is not that doing evil that good may come ? 
Min. — I have not said, nor does either 
the Confession of Faith, or the Bible say, 
that God permitted evil in order to over- 
rule it for good. We know nothing but 
the simple facts, that he permitted it, and 
has overruled it for good; but, whether 
that was his reason or not, he has not seen 
fit to tell us ; and, therefore, it is not our 
place to inquire ; and, if men would not 
wish to be wise above what is written, 
there would be less controversy and differ- 
ence of opinion. 



DIALOGUE IV. 



DECREES OF GOD. 



Convert. — In our last conversation, I un- 
derstood from some of your remarks, that 
there is an inseparable connection between 
God's decrees and foreknowledge. Yet, I 
find the Confession of Faith says, in chap- 
ter 3, section 2, that " he hath not decreed 
anything because he foresaw it as future, 
or as that which would come to pass upon 
such conditions." 

Minister. — You will observe that the 
Confession only says, that he did not de- 
cree anything because he foresaw it — that 
is, his foreknowledge is not the ground, 
or cause of his decrees ; still, they are in- 
separably connected. His decrees are not 
dependent upon his foreknowledge, nor 
identical with it ; but his foreknowledge 
is rather dependent upon his decrees, 
though perfectly distinct from them. 

In the case of the distiller, mentioned 
in our last conversation as an illustration, 
how could I know certainly that I would 
go to that neighbourhood to preach, if I 

(39) 



40 DECREES OF GOD. 

had not determined to go ? If my purpose 
to go were in any degree unsettled or un- 
determined, I could not know certainly 
that I would go. But, if I had determined 
to go, then I would know it certainly. 
So if God knew that he would create the 
world, it was because he had determined 
to do it. If his purpose were unsettled, 
or if he had not come to the determina- 
tion to do it, he could not know it cer- 
tainty. But if he had his purpose fixed, 
then he knew it certainly. It is in this 
sense that the decrees of God and his 
foreknowledge are inseparably connected. 

Con. — I understand it, I think, now, 
perfectly, and must confess that the doc- 
trine of decrees, in all its parts, seems to 
me so reasonable and plain, that I am sur- 
prised, more and more, at the virulent op- 
position which many professors of reli- 
gion manifest against it. I find, too, from 
looking at the scriptural references in the 
Confession of Faith, that it is abundantly 
sustained by the Bible. 

Min. — The passages quoted in the Con- 
fession, are but a few of the many with 
which the Scriptures abound. Indeed, the 
doctrine is so interwoven through all the 
promises, calls, threatenings, and instruc- 
tions of the Bible, that to take it away, 
would mar the whole. But did you notice 



DECREES OF GOD. 41 

the peculiar force of the language of the 
Bible on this point ? One of the passages 
quoted, is Eph. i. 11 — " In whom, (Christ) 
also we have obtained an inheritance, being 
predestinated according to the purpose of 
him who worketh all things after the 
counsel of his own will." This is stronger 
language than can be found anywhere in 
our standards. Here is a " predestination, " 
a "purpose," and a "counsel" of God, 
" according" to which he " worketh all 
things." Peter, in his first epistle, i. 20 — 
speaking of Christ, says he was "verily 
foreordained before the foundation of the 
world." Now it is admitted on all hands, 
that God had, in the counsels of eternity, 
decreed to send the Saviour for the re- 
demption of fallen man ; but how could 
that be, if the fall of man was uncertain ? 
In Acts iv. 27, 28, we read thus: "Of a 
truth, against thy holy child Jesus, whom 
thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pon- 
tius Pilate, with the Gentiles and people 
of Israel, were gathered together, to do 
whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel de- 
termined before to be done." Now can 
any one say, that the death of Christ was 
an uncertain event in the purpose of God? 
He knew certainly, that they would as- 
semble to take away his life, and he had 
decreed to permit it ; and thus it was fixed 
4* 



42 DECREES OF GOD. 

upon as certain, without the smallest pos- 
sibility of mistake, with the wise and al- 
mighty disposer of all events. 

Con. — Then are we to conclude that 
Judas and his accomplices could not have 
acted otherwise ? 

Min. — That does not necessarily follow 
from the absolute certainty of their course. 
They could have acted otherwise, if they 
would. A man has power to do that which 
it is absolutely certain he will not do, and 
to refrain from doing that which it is ab- 
solutely certain he will do. Had the Sa- 
viour called "twelve legions of angels/' 
which he said he could have done, and 
overcome the band that came against him 
with Judas, or forcibly prevented them in 
any other way ; or if he had impelled them 
against their will to do as they did, they 
could not have acted freely. But he left 
them to fulfil his purpose, in doing as 
their wicked inclinations prompted them. 
Hence, Peter charges them with the crime, 
whilst at the same time he declares that 
they acted according to the purpose of 
God. Acts ii. 28 — "Him being delivered 
by the determinate counsel and foreknow- 
ledge of God, ye have taken, and by 
wicked hands have crucified and slain." 
From this you can perceive that the Con- 
fession of Faith speaks the language of the 



DECREES OF GOD. 43 

Bible and of common sense, wlien it says, 
that God has so decreed all things, that 
" no violence is offered to the will of the 
creatures, nor is the liberty or contingency 
of second causes taken away, but rather 
established." 

Con. — But if God thus brings good out 
of evil, and the wicked actions of men are 
all thus overruled for his glory, why are 
wicked men punished ? 

Min. — This is the very objection that 
the apostle meets, in Bom. iii. 5 — " If our 
unrighteousness commend the righteous- 
ness of God, what shall we say ? Is God 
unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I 
speak as a man)" — that is, he speaks the 
language of a common objection, which 
men might be likely to make, and no 
doubt did make, then as well as now. 
But how does he answer it? "God for- 
bid; for, then how shall God judge the 
world ?" The same objection he meets in 
the 9th chapter and 19th verse: "Thou 
wilt then say unto me, Why doth he yet 
find fault ; for who hath resisted his will ?" 
And what is his answer? "Nay, but 
man, who art thou that repliest against 
God?" This would be sufficient; but I 
may add, that an action being overruled 
for good, cannot, in the smallest degree, 
lessen its criminality. In the case I have 



44 DECREES OF GOD. 

already supposed, my determination to 
overrule for good the wickedness of those 
men in burning their neighbour's house, 
and attempting to burn mine, could not, 
in any degree, lessen the criminality of 
their actions; So you perceive, that God 
can still "judge the world" in righteous- 
ness, as Paul asserts, though he overrules 
sin to his own glory, and for a greater 
good. 

There are hundreds of other passages 
in the Bible equally as plain as those I 
have mentioned. Isa. xlvi. 10 — "I am 
God, and there is none like me, declaring 
the end from the beginning, and from an- 
cient times the things that are not yet 
done, saying, my counsel shall stand, and 
I will do all my pleasure." Paul, in Acts 
xvii. 26, says, God "hath made of one 
blood all nations of men, for to dwell on 
all the face of the earth, and hath deter- 
mined the, times before appointed, and the 
bounds of their habitation." I shall cite 
but one passage more, though I might 
produce a hundred. Joseph's brethren 
were, like the crucifiers of the Saviour, 
very guilty in selling their brother into 
Egypt; but he tells them plainly, Gen. 1. 
20 — "As for you, ye meant it for evil 
against me, but God meant it unto good, 
to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save 



DECREES OF GOD. 45 

much people alive." Now can anything 
be plainer, than that God intentionally 
permitted the selling of Joseph for impor- 
tant reasons, and had decreed so to do, as 
well as to direct his future course ? Now I 
would ask any candid man, whether the 
Confession of Faith pushes the doctrine 
of decrees further than the Bible? — or, 
whether common sense can find any other 
system of doctrine, consistent with the 
character of God ? 

Con. — My mind is perfectly satisfied that 
the doctrine of the Confession is both 
reasonable and scriptural. But I have a 
difficulty still, with regard to some of its 
consequences. If all things are so cer- 
tainly arranged in the purposes of God, 
what encouragement have we to pray ? 

Min. — "We have infinitely more encour- 
agement to pray, than if events depended 
upon creatures, or were suspended in un- 
certainty. God has so arranged all events, 
that every effectual fervent prayer of the 
righteous shall be fulfilled, and that with- 
out resorting to miracle, or interfering 
with his other purposes. But take away 
the doctrine, and we have no encourage- 
ment to pray, that I can conceive of. You 
ask God to convert a sinner, but if the 
matter be not in his hands, and is left to 
chance, or the sinner's own natural incli- 



46 DECREES OF GOD. 

nations, yon pray in vain. God cannot 
interfere for fear of destroying free agency. 
Thus you perceive, that if God be not the 
sovereign disposer of all events, the mouth 
of prayer is closed. But if it be a part of 
his plan, certainly to answer every prayer 
of faith, then we can come to him with 
confidence and great encouragement. 

Con. — But does it not discourage the use 
of means ? 

Mm. — In the illustration I gave of the 
distiller, did my determinations and ar- 
rangements in my plan, discourage the use 
of the means in carrying it out ? It em- 
braced all the means of its accomplish- 
ment; and the arrangements of the plan 
were the ground of encouragement for the 
use of the means. So of God's plan. It 
embraces all the means of its accomplish- 
ment ; and when we engage in his service, 
in the use of his prescribed means, we 
have the great encouragement of knowing 
that it is by these he has determined to 
accomplish his great work. 

Con. — It is to be regretted that this doc- 
trine is by so many misunderstood. Would 
it not have been better for the framers of 
the Confession of Faith, to have been a 
little more guarded, and not to have used 
language that was so liable to be misun- 
derstood and perverted ? 



DECREES OE GOD. 47 

Min. — I know not what they could have 
done more than they have, without de- 
parting from Scripture truth. The Con- 
fession is easily understood by any one 
who wishes to understand it. We mav as 

%J 

well say, why did not the writers of the 
Bible use other language ? There are 
hundreds of passages in the Bible just as 
strong as any used in the Confession. 
"Why did Paul say, " predestinated accord- 
ing to the purpose of him who worketh 
all things?" &c. "Why did he not leave 
out the whole of the first chapter to the 
Ephesians, and the eighth and ninth to the 
Bomans ? Indeed I believe if the framers 
of the Confession had taken verbatim 
some passages of Scripture, it could not 
have lessened the opposition. Jude says, 
there were certain men " who were before, 
of old, ordained to this condemnation." 
Now if the framers of the Confession had 
taken that language as it stands, without 
inserting the words "for their sin," what 
would our enemies have said ? 

Con. — I believe it is best to follow the 
Bible, regardless of the opinions of men ; 
and I believe the truth will ultimately com- 
mend itself to all intelligent minds. I 
would be glad to have some further con- 
versation with you on some other doc- 
trines which I find it difficult to under- 



48 DECREES OF GOD. 

stand, if it would not be trespassing too 
much upon your time. 

Min. — I will be glad to give you all the 
information I can, and will be at leisure 
to-morrow evening, when we will take up 
the doctrine of election, as it is intimately 
connected with the doctrine of decrees. 



DIALOGUE V. 

ELECTION. 

Convert. — Since our last conversation, I 
have been examining the Confession of 
Faith, and have been not a little surprised 
that I cannot find the terms reprobate, and 
reprobation, anywhere used. I thought 
they were used in contradistinction to the 
terms elect and election. 

Minister. — They are not used in our 
standards, I believe, anywhere, though 
uniformly charged upon us, as an epithet 
by which to excite odium. I have been 
the more surprised at this, because they 
are Scripture terms ; and I would have no 
objection to use them in the sense in which 
the Bible uses them. They mean, not ap- 
proved, or chosen; and if in this sense 
applied to the finally impenitent, their use 
would be proper. But the enemies of the 
doctrine of election have coined a new 
. meaning for the words, and then charge 
us with, using them, with their meaning. 
The doctrinal tracts of the Methodist 
church, which we examined some time 
5 (49) 



50 ELECTION. 

ago, ring their changes upon "election 
and reprobation," as if scarcely anything 
else were in our standards ; whereas, re- 
probation, in the sense in which they use it. 
is neither part nor consequence of the doc- 
trine of election. 

Con. — The idea I have had of the com- 
mon meaning of the term reprobation, is, 
that God made a part of mankind merely 
to damn them ; and that he has, by his 
decree respecting them, made it impossi- 
ble for them to be saved, let them do what 
they may; and that this is a necessary 
consequence of the doctrine of election, 
and so necessarily connected with it, that 
they must stand or fall together. 

Min. — I know this is the common mis- 
representation, but such sentiments are no- 
where to be found in our Confession of 
Faith, or in any of our standard writers ; 
and only exist in the imaginations and 
writings of errorists, who scarcely ever 
oppose the truth without misrepresenta- 
tion. Election has nothing to do with the 
damnation of a single sinner. It is God's 
purpose of love and mercy, embracing in 
itself the means and agencies for carrying 
it out. It embraces no decree or purpose 
that hinders any one from coming to Christ 
and being saved, if they would. There is 
nothing that hinders their salvation but 



ELECTION. 51 

their own aversion to holiness, and their 
love of sin ; and it is for this, that God has 
purposed to damn them. 

Con. — "What then is the doctrine of 
election, as held by the Presbyterian 
church ? 

Min. — The best definition I can give of 
it, is contained in the answer to the 30th 
question in our Larger Catechism : " God 
doth not leave all men to perish in the es- 
tate of sin and misery, into which they 
fell by the breach of the first covenant, 
commonly called the covenant of works ; 
but of his mere love and mercy, delivereth 
his elect out of it, and bringeth them into 
an estate of salvation, by the second cove- 
nant, commonly called the covenant of 
grace.' ' Now one simple question will 
determine the truth of this, on the plain 
principles of common sense. Does God 
save all men out of their estate of sin and 
misery, or does he leave some to perish in 
their sin, as they choose ? If he saves all 
men " through the sanctification of the 
Spirit and belief of the truth," then the 
doctrine of election is not true ; but if he 
does not, then it is true. 

Con. — It is very plain, that he does not 
save all men ; but does he not offer salva- 
tion to all men ? 

Min. — Certainly. But do you suppose 



52 ELECTION. 

that nothing more is necessary for salva- 
tion than to offer it? 

Con. — By no means. I believe if God 
would leave men with a mere offer of sal- 
vation, not one would ever accept of it. 
At least I judge so from my own experi- 
ence. I fully believe, if he had not come 
with the influences of his Spirit, I should 
have listened carelessly to the calls of 
the Gospel, until death would have sealed 
my doom for ever ; and I feel that I can- 
not be too thankful for his unspeakable 
mercy. 

Min. — You believe then, that salvation 
is entirely of God ; or as the apostle ex- 
presses it, he is "the author and finisher 
of our faith ;" and that he has done a 
work in this respect for you, which he has 
not done for your unconverted neighbour. 
But do you suppose it was on account of 
anything naturally good in yourself, that 
he made the difference ? 

Con. — I can take no praise to myself. 
I was running the same course with my 
wicked companions ; and in some respects 
I believe I was the most wicked of all. I 
know and feel that it is all of grace, and 
can truly say, it is "by the grace of God 
I am what I am." 

Min. — Your experience in this respect, 
corresponds with the language of Scrip- 



ELECTION. 53 

ture, 1st Cor. iv. 7 — "Who maketh thee 
to differ from another; and what hast 
thou, that thou didst not receive ?" Eph. 
ii. 1 — " You hath he quickened, who were 
dead in trespasses and sins." John i. 13 
— "Which were born, not of blood, nor 
of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of 
man, but of God." Tit. iii. 5— "Not by 
works of righteousness which we have 
done, but according to his mercy he saved 
us, by the washing of regeneration, and 
the renewing of the Holy Ghost." Indeed 
the Bible everywhere ascribes salvation en- 
tirely to God ; and I have never yet been 
able to find a true Christian who felt he 
had any ground of boasting, as being in 
any sense, or in any degree, the author of 
his own regeneration. But as you ascribe 
the work entirely to God, do you suppose 
he intended your regeneration and con- 
version, when he came in mercy by his 
Spirit; or was it accidentally done, with- 
out any gracious design towards you ? 

Con. — I can hardly suppose you serious 
in asking such a question. 

Min. — It does imply an absurdity. A 
man who acts without design, or purpose, 
is accounted foolish ; and it would be both 
absurd and impious, to impute anything 
of the kind to God. But I proposed the 
question preparatory to another. If God 
5* 



54 ELECTION. 

acted with a gracious design in thus chang- 
ing your heart, when did he form that de- 
sign? Do you suppose he conceived a 
gracious purpose towards you at the time, 
or had he it previously? And if he had 
it previously, when was it first formed ? 

Con. — It must have been eternal, for he 
cannot have any new designs. With him 
there cannot be any succession of time. 
He is "from everlasting to everlasting;" 
and as his existence is eternal, and " his 
understanding infinite," all his designs and 
purposes must be eternal. And when I 
think of his " gracious thoughts" towards 
me, and attempt to trace them to their 
fountain, I find myself lost in eternity. 

Min. — You have now expressed every- 
thing that is intended and embraced in the 
doctrine of election. It is simply grace 
traced to its eternal source. It is the de- 
sign or purpose of God, to accomplish 
that work of grace in the heart, which be- 
lievers experience in regeneration, and to 
carry it on to perfection and glory. Now 
the simple question is, Did he purpose to 
accomplish this work of grace in the hearts 
of all men ? This no man of common 
sense can believe. So you perceive, we 
must either deny the doctrine of regene- 
ration and sanctification by grace, or ad- 
mit the doctrine of election. Those who 



ELECTION. 55 

pretend to believe that salvation is entirely 
by the grace of God, and yet deny the 
doctrine of election, can lay but few claims 
either to consistency, or common sense. 

Con. — But does not the believer do 
something in his own conversion ? 

Min. — The action of the mind in believ- 
ing and turning to God, is the believer's 
own work ; that is, he believes. God does 
not believe for him. But this is the fruit 
of regeneration ; and they are so inti- 
mately and inseparably connected that 
persons do not always distinguish between 
them. They are, however, clearly distinct. 
Breathing is the result of life, and always 
inseparably connected with it. A person 
must live in order to breathe, yet breath- 
ing is the operation of life, not life itself. 
So in spiritual life. Regeneration is the 
giving of life ; and holy exercises are the 
operations or action of a "quickened" 
soul. Your own experience will perhaps 
be the best illustration of the fact. Though 
convinced of sin, and 'dreading its conse- 
quences, you felt a strong disinclination to 
give yourself to God, on the terms of the 
Gospel ; but you were afterwards brought 
to see its beauty, and its perfect adapted- 
ness to your case. It was the same Gospel, 
and the same Saviour, who had been 
offered before, but you seemed to view 



56 ELECTION. 

them in a new light. Yon, in short, felt 
yonr views of God and religion changed, 
in a way that led you to desire and seek 
what you formerly disliked and slighted. 
Now it is this change of views and feel- 
ings, that is called regeneration, and is 
the work of God ; and the exercises of 
love, faith, and hope, and the action of 
giving yourself to God, consequent upon 
your change of feelings, is conversion. 
Now it is admitted on all hands, that you 
acted freely, and felt that you were exer- 
cising and doing those things yourself; 
but the question is, Did you change your 
own feelings ? This you have said, and 
the Bible everywhere declares, is the work 
of God. In doing it he accomplished a 
gracious design, which he had toward you 
from eternity; and that gracious design 
was your election. Hence it is sometimes 
called personal election, because God has 
the same gracious design toward each in- 
dividual whom he calls. 

Con. — It is surely a doctrine that is cal- 
culated to excite gratitude in the heart of 
a Christian; but does it not show par- 
tiality in God, in doing more for some than 
others ? 

Min. — God distinguishes, it is true, but 
he is not partial ; for partiality means a 
preferring one before another, without 



ELECTION. 57 

sufficient reasons, or overlooking just 
claims. If any of the human family could 
claim anything at the hand of God, there 
would be cause of complaint, that some 
were passed by in his purpose of mercy. 
But when all equally deserve hell, if he 
see fit to save some, for a display of his 
mercy, and leave others to the fate they 
choose, for a display of his justice, though 
the former have great ground of gratitude, 
the others have no cause of complaint. 

Suppose the monarch of some mighty 
empire hears that some province of his 
dominions has rebelled. Having no pleas- 
ure in their death, he sends them an offer 
of pardon upon consistent terms, and they 
all refuse to accept it. Still inclined to 
mercy, he sends out ambassadors, who use 
every entreaty with the rebels, but in vain. 
They call their monarch a tyrant, and per- 
sist in their wicked rebellion. The com- 
passionate monarch, still unwilling to give 
them up, goes among them himself, and 
by his own personal influence, prevails on 
a greater part of them to accept his pro- 
posals of pardon. But as such signal ob- 
stinacy ought not to go unpunished, he 
executes the sentence of the law on the 
rest. Thus the greater part are reconciled, 
and the rest are punished. Now who 



58 ELECTION. 

could accuse the monarch of partiality, or 
blame his course ? 

But vary the case a little. Suppose this 
monarch has foreknowledge, and can 
clearly foresee the rebellion long before it 
takes place. He reasons with himself 
thus : " I see that some years hence, part 
of my kingdom will rebel. Well, I will 
send them a proposal of pardon. But I 
know they will all reject it. I will then 
send special messengers to explain to them 
their danger, and the honourable manner 
in which I wish to save them, and to use 
every entreaty to bring them back to their 
allegiance. But I see they will reject all. 
I will then go myself, and prevail on the 
greater part of them to accept my offer, 
and will punish the remainder as ensam- 
ples to my whole empire. But seeing that 
my proclamation and my messengers will 
effect nothing, shall I omit to send them ? 
No, I will send them to convince all of 
my sincerity in offering pardon and mercy; 
to show what obstinacy existed in the 
hearts of the rebels ; and to convince all 
of the wisdom, justice, and mercy of my 
proceedings." 

Now can we find any more reason to 
blame the monarch, because his deter- 
minations were formed previously to the 
rebellion ? Can we condemn him for tak- 



ELECTION. 59 

ing the course he ought to have taken, if 
his purposes had not been formed until 
the time ? Was he partial in determining 
to make a public example of some of the 
rejecters of his mercy ? Can any one say 
that his determination to save some, 
wronged the others ? Did his decree to save 
some, fix the condition of the others, so 
that it was impossible for them to accept 
his offer of pardon ? They fixed their 
condition themselves. They were " or- 
dained to wrath and dishonour for their 
sins. ,, But will any one blame him for 
not constraining all to accept his ofler? 
This were to allow him no room for the 
exercise of discretion. Or will any one 
say he ought not to have used his influ- 
ence to persuade any, but left all alike? 
Then there would have been no objects 
upon whom to exercise mercy. 

Now though we cannot find an illustra- 
tion that will exactly, in all points, meet 
the case, yet I have, I believe, in this, ex- 
hibited our view of election in every ma- 
terial point, and you can easily make the 
application of it in your own mind to God, 
as the sovereign of the universe, and this 
world a rebellious province. God in infi- 
nite mercy, has offered pardon to the 
rebels of Adam's race, through his Son. 
His language is, " "Whosoever will, let him 



60 ELECTION. 

come." But all refuse; and if left to 
themselves, every individual of mankind 
will reject the offer, and everlastingly per- 
ish. Christ would have died in vain, and 
there could be no trophies of his mercy. 
But God determined that this should not 
be the case. He sends his Spirit, and 
sweetly constrains them to yield, in a man- 
ner that will for ever redound to the praise 
of his mercy and grace. What proportion 
of the human family he has included in 
his purpose of mercy, we are not informed ; 
but, in view of the future days of prosperity 
promised to the church, it may be in- 
ferred that the greater part will, at last, be 
found among the number of the elect of 
God. But although the number is un- 
known to us, it is " certain" and " defi- 
nite" with God; so that he cannot be dis- 
appointed, either in finding among them 
one whom he did not expect, or in losing 
one he purposed to save. This is what 
our Confession of Faith means, and all it 
means, in saying that the number is so 
" certain and definite, that it cannot be 
increased or diminished." 

I have now, I think, shown you that 
the doctrine of election is in every point, 
a plain dictate of common sense. I wish 
also to show you that it must be true, 



ELECTION. 61 

from the character of God and the Bible. 
But our conversation has been sufficiently 
protracted at this time. Call when you 
have leisure, and we will pursue the sub- 
ject further, in the light of God's word. 

6 



DIALOGUE VI. 

ELECTION. 

Convert. — Since our last conversation, I 
have been reflecting on the views yon pre- 
sented, and am constrained to acknow- 
ledge, that I can find no other doctrine 
consistent with facts, the character of God, 
and the Bible. It is a fact that must be 
conceded, that God is the author of re- 
generation; and this once conceded, the 
doctrine of election must be true, or we 
at once deny his character as infinite. But 
still there are some consequences of the 
doctrine, which seem to me irreconcilable 
with God's goodness and sincerity, in 
offering pardon to sinners. Does it not 
render it necessary that some must be lost, 
and some must be saved ? 

Minister. — You fail to distinguish be- 
tween necessity and certainty. If you 
were to say, it renders it certain that some 
will be lost, and some will be saved, then 
you have the true issue; but this, you per- 
ceive, alters the case materially. There 
is no necessity placed upon the impenitent 
(62) 



ELECTION. 63 

to refuse the offers of the Gospel, though 
God knows certainly they will. But even 
that certainty does not flow from the doc- 
trine of election. Take away the doctrine, 
and see if the case will be any better. 
Will any be saved without election, that 
will not be saved with it ? If you take 
away God's special purpose to save, every 
sinner of Adam's race will most certainly 
perish. 

Con. — But still it seems that God can- 
not be sincere in offering salvation to all 
men, when it is certain that some will not 
accept it. 

Min. — If he had formed no purpose to 
save any, and offered salvation to all, 
knowing they would refuse, could he be 



sincere 



v 



Con. — Certainly ; for if they would ac- 
cept, they would be saved. Besides, he 
might offer, knowing certainly they would 
refuse, to show his willingness to save, and 
the justice of their condemnation. 

Min. — You have now answered the ob- 
jection; for God's purpose to save some, 
does not affect, in any point, the light in 
which he stands to the rest, or the relation 
in which they stand to him. They are left 
just as they were ; and still, if they would 
accept his offer, they would infallibly be 
saved ; and it is just as much their duty 



64 ELECTION. 

to repent and be saved, as if lie had elected 
none. 

Con. — But will the doctrine not discour- 
age the use of means, and making exer- 
tions to obtain salvation ? 

Min. — To whom can it be discouraging ? 
Surely not to ministers of the Gospel. 
When Paul was preaching at Athens, he 
was discouraged until God preached to 
him the doctrine of election. In the midst 
of his discouragement, how cheering it 
must have been to be told of God, " Be 
not afraid, but speak, * * for I have much 
people in this city." — Actsxviii. 10. Now 
here we have election from the mouth of 
God; and what could be more encourag- 
ing than to be thus informed, that God in- 
tended to convert a number of that wicked 
city through the instrumentality of his 
preaching? Now you will observe, God 
did not tell Paul he had all the city, nor 
how many. It was enough for Paul to 
know he had some. He could then go 
forward, confident of success. Take from 
me the doctrine of election, and I have 
not the least hope of success. But when 
I know that God has determined to save 
a vast number of the human family in 
every age, "by the foolishness of preach- 
ing," I can go forward in the use of his 
appointed means, with confident hope. 



ELECTION. 65 

Neither can it be discouraging to sin- 
ners. It is the sinner's only hope. Take 
it away, and despair must shroud the whole 
race of Adam. But the sinner can now 
come to God, trusting in his special pur- 
pose of mercy, feeling that his help is laid 
upon one who is mighty to save, and who 
will infallibly save every one who comes 
to him through Christ. I know the doc- 
trine sometimes makes careless sinners 
uneasy, and wicked men uniformly hate 
it. But what does that amount to ? Simply 
this. They refuse mercy, and wickedly 
reject God's grace ; and knowing that they 
cannot be saved in sin, and being unwill- 
ing to repent, they hate the whole system 
of grace. But if any one truly desires 
salvation, and wishes to turn from sin, he 
finds in the doctrine of election the rich- 
est encouragement. Would it not be en- 
couraging to the people of Corinth, to 
know that God had purposed to convert a 
number of them, and make them trophies 
of the cross ? But is the doctrine discour- 
aging to the praying Christian ? He ac- 
knowledges the truth of it every time he 
prays that God would convert sinners, and 
build up his Church. And it is the fact, 
that God has promised to give this world 
to his Son, and gather the vast multitude 
of his elect from every nation, that is his 
6* 



66 ELECTION. 

only encouragement to pray. I have, in- 
deed, sometimes wondered what encour- 
agement those have to pray, who deny the 
doctrine. If it be not true that the work 
is God's, and he has purposed to carry it 
on, why need any one pray ? If the work 
be left to the decisions of sinners, or to 
chance, the proper course would be to pray 
to those who have the work to do. It is 
foolishly absurd, as well as impious, to 
deny that the work is God's, and then pray 
that he would do it. So you perceive it is 
the denial of the doctrine, that discour- 
ages prayer. But what encouragement it 
affords, to know that God has purposed to 
carry on this glorious work, until the 
blessed religion of Jesus shall triumph 
over the whole world, and has declared, 
too, that it will be done, in answer to the 
earnest prayers of his people. 

Con, — I see much depends upon a right 
understanding of the doctrine. But still, 
is it not calculated to do harm ? 

Min. — How can it do harm ? We have 
seen that it contains the only ground of 
hope to the minister as well as the sinner. 
Who was a more zealous advocate for the 
doctrine than Paul ? There is no modern 
writer who states the doctrine so plainly, 
or in so forcible language ; and yet who 
was more zealous and indefatigable in la- 



ELECTION. 67 

bours? And the reason is plain. He 
knew that God had determined to save a 
great many in the world, and had placed 
the instrumentality in his hands. This, 
with love to his Master, constituted the 
glorious motive that actuated him in all 
his labours. Can it do harm for a minis- 
ter to believe that God, the Father, has 
promised the Saviour "a seed," which 
shall surely be gathered, as the glorious 
reward of his sufferings ? and that his is 
the important work, so far as instrumen- 
tality is concerned, of gathering this prom- 
ised seed to the Saviour? Could there 
be any higher motive placed before the 
mind of a true lover of the Lord Jesus 
Christ ? Or can it do harm to preach this 
doctrine as a motive to Christian effort, or 
as an inducement for sinners to believe ? 
"When a sinner is told that there is nothing 
on the part of God to keep him away; 
that there is nothing but his own unwil- 
lingness and hatred of God, that stands in 
the way of his acceptance ; and that if he 
will only give himself to God, on the 
terms of the Gospel, he will be among 
those whom God has purposed to save ; he 
has the greatest encouragement that can 
be given, to look to God for grace, and 
pray that he may be included in the num- 
ber of his chosen. 



68 ELECTION. 

But I grant there is one way in which 
these doctrines are the occasion of harm. 
When our enemies misrepresent them, 
and endeavour to make people believe 
that we make God the author of sin; that 
we deny free agency, and the use of means ; 
and loudly proclaim that our doctrine 
"came from hell, and leads to hell;" and 
that, "according to our belief, sinners may 
rest secure, the elect must be saved, and 
the rest must be damned, do what they 
may," &c, people will take occasion to 
say, "if so large, respectable, and upright 
a class of Christians, believe a doctrine 
which is pronounced ' worse than infidel- 
ity,' there is no truth in religion." In this 
way the doctrine is the occasion of much 
harm. But because others wickedly "turn 
the truth of God into a lie," must we, 
therefore, give it up? We may as well 
say that Christ should not have preached 
concerning "his kingdom," because he 
was wickedly misrepresented as claiming 
an earthly crown. 

Con. — I know such assertions are often 
made ; and I could not but wonder that such 
awful doctrines were believed by a class 
of Christians that seemed so generally 
pious and upright in their deportment, and 
at the same time so zealous in the cause 
of Christ. I found them as a body, gene- 



ELECTION. 69 

rally, the most liberal in sustaining the 
cause of benevolence, and making at least 
full as many sacrifices and efforts for the 
spread of the Gospel, as any others. 

Min. — Let us now attend to some direct 
proofs of the doctrine of election ; and I 
would remark that it must be true, in the 
first place, from the character of God and 
his promises. 

Laying aside the thousand other prom- 
ises he has made on this subject to his 
church and people, I will only mention the 
reward promised to the Saviour. "Would 
Christ suffer and die on an uncertainty ? 
"Would the Father subject his Son to all 
the infinite load of wrath which he bore 
for sinners, without any certain prospect 
of an adequate result ? And if he himself 
had not made it certain, how could it be 
certain ? If it were placed in any other 
hands but his, it could not be certain. 
Let us for a moment suppose that God 
has not positively determined to bring any 
one to Christ ; and where is the certainty 
that any will come ? 

Con. — In that case it would be certain 
that none would come. 

Min. — Then you perceive we are at once 
driven to the conclusion that he deter- 
mined to "make them willing," or there 
could be no certainty that the Saviour 



70 ELECTION. 

should " see of the travail of his soul, and 
be satisfied.' ' We might reason in the 
same way respecting all the attributes of 
God. It is inconsistent with any one of 
them to deny his special purpose of mercy. 
But enough has been said, in the light of 
reason. Let us examine the Bible, and 
see if it teaches the doctrine ; for however 
reasonable it may appear, if it be not 
plainly taught there, we must give it up. 
Eph. i. 4 — "According as he hath chosen 
us in him before the foundation of the 
world, that we should be holy and without 
blame, before him, in love;" and that his 
meaning might be the more plain, he adds 
in the 5th verse, " Having predestinated 
us unto the adoption of children, by Jesus 
Christ, to himself, according to the good 
pleasure of his will." And in the 11th 
verse of the same chapter, he says, "In 
whom also we have obtained an inheri- 
tance, being predestinated according to the 
purpose of him who worketh all things 
after the counsel of his own will." Does 
not this look like the doctrine of election ? 
But again, Rom. viii. 28 — "We know that 
all things work together for good, to 
them that love God ; to them who are the 
called, according to his purpose." "For, 
whom he did foreknow, he also did pre- 
destinate to be conformed to the image of 



ELECTION. 71 

his Son. * * Moreover, whom he did 
predestinate, them he also called, and whom 
he called, them he also justified, and whom 
he justified, them he also glorified." Now 
if the doctrine of election be not true, we 
may safely challenge any man to tell us 
what the apostle means by such language. 
But in 2 Thess. ii. 11 — 13, he uses still 
stronger language: "And for this cause, 
God shall send them strong delusion that 
they should believe a lie, that they all 
might be damned, who believed not the 
truth, but had pleasure in unrighteous- 
ness.-" Is the language of our Confession 
stronger than this, when it says, they were 
"ordained to wrath and dishonour for 
their sins." People may call this repro- 
bation, or give it any other opprobrious 
epithet, and say, "it originated in hell," 
&c. ; but there it is in the language of 
Paul, much more strongly expressed than 
in our Confession. But in the very next 
verse, we have the do'ctrine of election, 
expressed in language equally strong: 
"But we are bound to give thanks alway 
to God, for you, brethren, beloved of the 
Lord, because God hath, from the begin- 
ning, chosen you to salvation, through 
sanctification of the Spirit and belief of 
the truth." He expresses the same senti- 
ment in language equally explicit, in his 



72 ELECTION. 

2d epistle to Timothy, i. 9— " God hath 
saved us, and called us with an holy call- 
ing, not according to our works, but ac- 
cording to his own purpose and grace, 
wdiich was given us in Christ Jesus, before 
the world began." Such is the language 
of Paul on the doctrine of election; and 
any person is at liberty to weigh our Con- 
fession of Faith in this balance. 

But let us see what our Saviour himself 
says on this point. John vi. 36 — "All 
that the Father giveth me shall come to 
me, and him that cometh to me I will in 
no wise cast out." Here he first states 
God's special purpose of mercy, in giving 
him a seed to serve him, and the certainty 
of their coming ; and then adds the en- 
couragement it affords for sinners to be- 
lieve. He, it seems, did not think the 
doctrine discouraging. Those that the 
"Father gave him," he calls his sheep — 
John x. 27 — "My sheep hear my voice, 
and I know them, and they follow me, and 
I give unto them eternal life, and they 
shall never perish, neither shall any pluck 
them out of my hands. My Father, who 
gave them me, is greater than all, and 
none is able to pluck them out of my 
Father's hands." And in allusion to the 
Gentiles, who had not yet had the Gospel 
preached to them, he says, in the 16th 



ELECTION. 73 

verse, " Other sheep I have, which are not 
of this fold ; them also I must bring, and 
they shall hear my voice/' If this does 
not express a special purpose of mercy 
towards all those that shall be eventually 
gathered in, language has no meaning. 

But finally, he tells us of a day in which 
he will preach the doctrine to the assem- 
bled universe, amidst the awful grandeur 
of the judgment, and with a voice more 
awfully impressive than ten thousand thun- 
ders. Matt. xxiv. 31 — " And he shall send 
his angels, with a great sound of a trum- 
pet, and they shall gather together his 
elect from the four winds.' \ And in the 
25th chapter, and 34th verse, he tells us 
how he w T ill address them: "Come ye 
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom 
prepared for you from the foundation of 
the world." And to the others who, as 
Paul expresses it, "had pleasure in un- 
righteousness," he will say, "Depart ye 
cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for 
the devil and his angels." Thus his pur- 
pose of mercy will be fulfilled in a man- 
ner worthy of it, and of himself; and his 
purpose of judgment, too, respecting the 
finally impenitent, will be fulfilled in a 
manner that will for ever vindicate him 
from the charge of partiality. 

Con. — It will certainly be a grand and 
7 



74 ELECTION. 

glorious winding up of a scheme, equally 
grand and glorious ; and I think it will 
then be acknowledged that the whole plan 
was laid in eternal and infinite wisdom 
and love, and executed in infinite grace 
and glory. I begin to see now the beauty 
and consistency of the Calvinistic scheme, 
because it is the scheme of the Bible. 
Those doctrines I find are justly styled the 
" doctrines of grace," and I would like to 
examine with you some more of the promi- 
nent points of this scheme, if I have not 
already consumed too much of your time. 

Min. — I consider my time well spent in 
vindicating the truth from the aspersions 
of its enemies. I shall be pleased at any 
time to examine with you any other doc- 
trine of our Confession, about which you 
have any difficulty. 

Con. — There are some things about the 
doctrine of total depravity, that I cannot 
fully understand. I have no doubt as to 
the fact ; but how we are held responsible 
for Adam's sin, presents a difficulty to my 
mind. 

Min. — We will take up that subject at 
our next interview. 



DIALOGUE VII. 



ORIGINAL SIN. 



Minister. — In our last conversation you 
mentioned a difficulty under which your 
mind laboured, respecting the doctrine of 
hereditary depravity; but I think you 
stated that you had no difficulty as to the 
fact that all mankind are depraved. 

Convert. — Judging from the exhibitions 
of human nature, as they are seen on the 
general face of society, I do not see how 
any one can deny the fact. Looking at 
these exhibitions, under any circumstances 
yet found in the world, it seems to me 
that any reflecting mind must be con- 
vinced that mankind are, by nature, 
'•wholly inclined to sin'," as I find it ex- 
pressed in the Confession of Faith. 

Min. — Your sentiments accord with the 
language of the Bible, which gives a much 
stronger picture of the state of man by 
nature, than our Confession. Paul in the 
first and third chapters of his epistle to 
the Romans, states it at length, in as 
strong language as can be used; and in 

(75) 



76 ORIGINAL SIN. 

hundreds of other places, we find man- 
kind spoken of as being " in the gall of 
bitterness and bonds of iniquity." Q-en. 
vi. 5 — " God saw that the wickedness of 
man was great on the earth, and that every 
imagination of the thoughts of his heart 
was only evil continually. " Gen. viii. 21 
— " The imagination of man's heart is evil 
from his youth." But I need not multi- 
ply proofs of a fact which, as you say, is 
proved by every day's observation. 

The simple fact of the universal wicked- 
ness of mankind, has always proved a 
great difficulty with those who deny the 
doctrine of innate depravity. Some have 
attempted to account for it, from the in- 
fluence of example — that men are wicked, 
because they are surrounded with a bad 
influence. But whence the universal bad 
example? This is endeavouring to ac- 
count for a fact, by referring to the fact 
itself; and is about as wise as to say that 
men are wicked because they are wicked. 

Others have said that it is an abuse of 
their freedom of will. But why the uni- 
versal abuse of free will ? It is admitted 
on all hands, that the will is free. But 
why does it uniformly choose evil ? There 
must be some cause that operates in in- 
clining the will to act as it does. This 
method of accounting for the fact, is, if 



ORIGINAL SIN, 7T 

possible, more absurd than the other, and 
is about as consistent with common sense, 
as to account for the changes of the wind, 
by the turnings of a weathercock. 

Con. — I do not see how we can avoid 
the conclusion that there is in man an in- 
nate propensity inclining him to evil. 

Min. — The next step, then, is to inquire 
whence, and upon what principles came 
this propensity to evil. If this world be 
inhabited by a depraved intelligence, how 
came it to be so ? Man was not so cre- 
ated. The evil cannot be imputed to 
God. The fault must be in man himself. 
u God made man upright, but they have 
sought out many inventions/ ' is what the 
Bible tells us on this point, and to this 
statement we must all assent. It is ad- 
mitted, too, on all hands, I believe, that 
some how, in consequence of the fall of 
our first parents, all the evil found in the 
world has been entailed upon their pos- 
terity ; but the principles upon which this 
is to be accounted for, is a point much 
controverted, and about which you say 
your mind labours. 

Some say that there was not any legal 
connection between Adam and his pos- 
terity, and that they had no concern what- 
ever with his sin, but that the present 
state of mankind is to be accounted for on 



78 ORIGINAL SIN. 

the simple principle of transmission. As 
a tree propagates its kind, so the posterity 
of Adam naturally inherit his nature. 
The advocates of this doctrine express 
great abhorrence at the idea of being held 
in any way legally responsible for the sin 
of Adam ; and represent it as highly ty- 
rannical in God, to hold us responsible for 
a sin committed so long before we were 
born. But they forget that they are quar- 
reling with an admitted fact in the govern- 
ment of God. They admit that all evil is 
entailed upon us, in consequence of Adam's 
sin, and yet deny that we had any con- 
cern with it whatever. Now what could 
be more tyrannical than this ? In the gov- 
ernment and providence of God, we are 
visited with all the tremendous conse- 
quences and dreadful evils of a sin, with 
which we had no concern whatever. If 
we had no concern with his sin, it is cer- 
tainly the highest injustice and tyranny to 
visit us with any of its consequences. 
How much more consistent w T ith the char- 
acter of God, and with common sense, to 
admit the simple fact as it is expressed in 
our catechism, that we " sinned in him, 
and fell with him." 

Con. — But how could we sin in him. 

Min. — Upon the simple principle of 
representation, which enters into all God's 



ORIGINAL SIN. 79 

dealings with us. It is easy to understand 
how a man acts through a representative, 
or agent. And who would ever think of 
calling it injustice or tyranny, to hold a 
person responsible for the actions of his 
agent, or representative ? The people of 
a State act in and through their representa- 
tives in the Legislature. If they make 
wholesome laws, the people, with them- 
selves, reap the benefit ; and if they make 
unjust and oppressive laws, the people, 
equally with themselves, are involved in 
the evil consequences; and in this way 
the people become liable to all the evils 
resulting from such mal-administration. 
It is in this way, upon the principle of 
representation, that we all " sinned in 
Adam, and fell with him," and became 
liable to all the consequences of his sin, 
equally with himself. This is the sense 
in which the term "guilt" is used in our 
Confession. We are not guilty of Adam's 
sin personally, but liable to punishment 
on account of it ; and it is in this way that 
w y e say his sin is imputed to us ; that is, 
it is set to our account. 

Con. — But is not this doctrine liable to 
objection, on the ground that we had no- 
thing to do with his appointment as our 
representative ? 

Min. — Under the circumstances, it was 



80 ORIGINAL SIN, 

impossible that we could select our own 
agent to act for us ; but the simple ques- 
tion to be determined is, was it just, wise, 
and merciful in God, thus to deal with us 
on the principle of representation ? and 
when w r e could not choose our own repre- 
sentative, to choose one for us ? Will any- 
one say that it would have been better for 
the human family that each should have 
stood singly for himself in the great trial 
of obedience ? In that case we must leave 
out of view the covenant of grace and the 
Saviour ; for each individual, standing for 
himself upon the great trial for life or 
death, can have no reference to another. 
Then all mankind, from infancy to age — 
every moment — is on trial ; and the mo- 
ment any one fails in thought, w r ord, or 
action, then eternal death is the penalty, 
without a single gleam of hope. The fee- 
ble infant, with no distinct conceptions of 
law or penalty, with almost no power to 
distinguish between good and evil, unable 
properly to appreciate the tendencies of 
conduct, and more than all, without any 
knowledge that it is placed on such a trial ; 
yet is every moment standing in such a 
relation to God and his law, that the in- 
dulgence of a single sinful feeling brings 
upon it all the weight of the infinite pen- 
alty of God's law. Now, does it not display 



ORIGINAL SIN. 81 

the goodness of God to put that infant on 
trial, in the person of such a perfect being 
as Adam ? And when the Bible reveals 
the fact, that this was actually done, who, 
in the name of common sense, and of 
wisdom and goodness, can find fault, and 
say it was unjust and tyrannical ? 

But, to put the matter in a still more 
favourable light, suppose that all should 
be kept by God until maturity, and then 
put on trial ; and even allowing them to 
be as fully endowed with moral strength 
as Adam was, yet placed upon the awfully 
solemn trial, under such circumstances, 
that the moment any one should sin, in 
thought, word, or deed, his case is for ever 
as hopeless as that of the fallen angels, 
(who stood precisely in those circum- 
stances,) and the case is very little better, 
Now, is there any one, of all Adam's race, 
who would prefer thus to be placed ? Does 
it not show in a striking light the wisdom 
and goodness of God, in thus putting us 
on trial in our original progenitor, and 
thereby increasing, more than ten thou- 
sand-fold, his motives to obedience ? Does 
not the principle of representation, upon 
which God deals with us, commend itself 
to the plainest dictates of reason and com- 
mon sense ? And who will find fault with 
his Maker for selecting a representative 



82 ORIGINAL SIN. 

for ns, when we could not, under the cir- 
cumstances, choose one ourselves ? And 
moreover, he appointed the very person, 
whom all mankind would have chosen, if 
it could have been left to them. 

Con. — Is this what is meant in the Cate- 
chism by the "covenant," which it says 
was "made with Adam, not only for him- 
self, but for his posterity?" 

Min. — Yes; the agreement entered into 
between God and Adam, whereby he stood 
as our representative, is called a covenant, 
because there were certain stipulations to 
be fulfilled, and a reward promised; and 
on the other hand, a penalty threatened 
for the breach of it. 

Con. — But is all this clearly revealed in 
the Bible ? 

Min. — We are not told, in express 
words, that there was a covenant made 
between God and Adam ; and the opposers 
of the doctrine have attempted to triumph, 
because it is not stated in so many words 
that there was such a covenant transac- 
tion. But such attempts at triumph are, 
to say the least, very silly. I once heard a 
Socinian triumph in the same way, because 
he said the words " divinity of Christ," 
were not to be found in the Bible. And 
a Universalist, also, once in my hearing, 
pretended to triumph, because he said the 



ORIGINAL SIN. 83 

words "future punishment," were not found 
in the Bible. You can easily perceive 
that such things only betray their weak- 
ness. The question is not, Are the exact 
words, by which we express an idea, found 
in the Bible ; but is the idea there plainly 
taught? The idea of the representative 
character of Adam, and of his covenant 
relation to us, is as plainly taught in the 
Bible as almost any other truth. Rom. 
v. 19 — " By one man's disobedience many 
were made sinners." Verse 12 — "By one 
man sin entered into the world, and death 
by sin, and so death passed upon all men, 
for that all have sinned." We are here 
taught as plainly as can be, that death is 
the consequence of sin ; and the reason 
that all die, is, "that all have sinned." 
Now, we know that many die in infancy, 
before any actual sin can be laid to their 
charge. Then how have they sinned ? It 
is impossible to explain it N on any other 
supposition, than that they sinned in 
Adam ; and they could not sin in him in 
any other way, but by representation. 

Con. — Do you then believe that those 
dying in infancy will be condemned on 
account of their original sin ? 

Min. — That is not a necessary conclu- 
sion. Reasoning from analogy, we may 
conclude that it is consistent with God's 



84 ORIGINAL SIN. 

character and manner of dealing with 
mankind, to save them through the atone- 
ment of Christ. Paul tells us, Rom. v. 
14 — that " death reigned from Adam to 
Moses, even over them that had not sin- 
ned, after the similitude of Adam's trans- 
gression" — that is, infants who had not 
sinned actually. Now, seeing that they 
are involved in the consequences of Adam's 
sin, without actual participation, they may 
be included in the purpose of mercy 
through Christ, without actual participa- 
tion by faith. But if saved they will be 
saved as redeemed sinners, and will unite 
with all the host of God's elect, in singing 
"glory to the Lamb that redeemed us, 
and washed us in his blood." Now, it is 
plain that they cannot be redeemed, if they 
are not lost; they cannot be washed, if 
they are not polluted; they cannot be 
saved through Christ, if they are not sin- 
ners. If they are saved through Christ, it 
is an incontrovertible proof that they are 
sinners through Adam. 

But further, Paul says, Rom. v. 18 — 
"By the offence of one, judgment came 
upon all men to condemnation." If this 
does not prove that all men are liable to 
condemnation on account of the sin of 
Adam, language has no meaning. And 
there is no way that they could become 



ORIGINAL SIN. 85 

thus liable, but by sustaining to Mm a 
covenant relation, such as I have spoken 
of. Many other passages are equally clear 
in teaching the same truth, by plain and 
necessary deduction, which I need not 
enumerate. But we are not left to this 
mode of proof entirely. It is plainly 
manifest, that every item essential to a 
covenant, is contained in the transaction 
between God and Adam ; and the term 
" covenant/' is given to it by Hosea, vii. 
9 — " They like men have transgressed the 
coven ant. " The literal rendering of the 
Hebrew is, "They like Adam have trans- 
gressed the covenant." The Hebrew 
phrase, "JceAdam" which is here used, 
is so rendered in Job xxxi. 33 — " If I cov- 
ered my transgression, as Adam," &c. ; 
from which it is plain that the idea of a 
covenant with Adam was familiar to the 
inspired writers. 

I have now given a few, and only a few, 
of the many arguments that might be 
drawn from reason and the Bible, as well 
as from facts, to prove the representative 
character of Adam, and our covenant re- 
lation to him, on the ground of which his 
sin is imputed to his posterity ; and they 
consequently inherit a sinful nature, having 
" sinned in him, and fallen with him in 
his first transgression." Enough, how- 
8 



86 ORIGINAL SIN. 

ever, has been said, I think, to show you 
that the doctrine of our Confession of 
Faith on this subject, is the doctrine of 
the Bible, and of common sense. 

Con. — My mind is entirely relieved of 
its difficulty; and I find the doctrine of 
imputation, so far as it respects Adam's 
sin, is far different from what I had con- 
ceived it to be. 

Min. — The other part of the doctrine, 
viz: the imputation of Christ's righteous- 
ness as our only dependence for salvation, 
I presume you understand more clearly. 

Con. — I have made it my only depend- 
ence, and rejoice to do so ; but still I would 
be glad to understand it more fully, as my 
Methodist neighbour tells me that faith, 
and good works are, at least in part, the 
meritorious ground of my justification. 

Min. — We will take up that subject in 
our next conversation. 



DIALOGUE VIII. 

FREE GRACE. 

Minister. — In establishing the doctrine 
of the imputed righteousness of Christ, as 
the only ground of our justification in the 
sight of God, it is important, in the first 
place, to have a clear understanding of 
our relations to him, and the claims of his 
law. 

Convert. — Are we still under obligations 
to obey the law of God, notwithstanding 
we have broken it and incurred its pen- 
alty? 

Min. — The fact that we have broken 
God's law, cannot free us from obligations 
to serve and obey him, in the smallest de- 
gree. But we are speaking now, more 
particularly, of what is necessary to es- 
cape the penalty justly due us as sinners. 
It is said by some that God has relaxed 
the original terms upon which eternal life 
w^as first promised, and that he has been 
graciously pleased, for Christ's sake, to 
make a new covenant with man, in which 
he promises to pardon our sins if we re- 

(87) 



88 FREE GRACE. 

pent; and since we cannot render perfect 
obedience during all our life, lie will ac- 
cept of our imperfect obedience, if it be 
sincere. This, I suppose, is the opinion 
of jour Methodist neighbour, whom you 
mentioned as maintaining, that we are jus- 
tified, in part at least, by works. But this 
is only an attempt to "establish our own 
righteousness," and is not only unscrip- 
tural, but absurd. The law of God is a 
transcript of his character, and was so in- 
tended to be. u Be ye holy, for I am holy," 
was the sanction that accompanied it ; and 
who will dare to set up a lower standard? 
If its claims are let down, then it is abro- 
gated, and a new one set up through 
Christ. But Christ says expressly, that he 
" came not to destroy, but to fulfill." Be- 
sides, if there be a change in God's law, 
it is no longer to us a transcript of his 
character, and cannot be a perfect stan- 
dard of holiness. Consequently, too, the 
principles of his government are changed ; 
and things which were once sins, cannot 
now be so accounted ; and things that 
were once duties, are now dispensed with, 
which casts a severe, if not impious, reflec- 
tion upon both the Governor and his law. 
It is, in fact, nothing more than- salvation 
by works, and casts away altogether the 
necessity of a Saviour; for if the high 



FREE GRACE. 89 

authority of the law may give way for the 
accommodation of a criminal, why was it 
necessary that any obedience or satisfac- 
tion should be rendered to it by another 
in his stead ? The obedience and suffer- 
ings of the Saviour were, in that case, 
mere works of supererogation, given to a 
law, which, after all, did not necessarily 
demand them. 

Con.— But may we not suppose that the 
sufferings of Christ were intended to show 
God's hatred of sin in such a light, that he 
might consistently pardon sin, without an 
impeachment of his law or character, when 
the sinner sincerely repents ? 

Min.— The sufferings of the Saviour do 
exhibit, in a very striking light, the great 
evil of sin ; and it was no doubt intended 
that they should do so. But if we stop 
there, we make the atonement a very small 
matter. It represents GTod as making a 
show of respect for his law and govern- 
ment, which, in fact, does not exist, if he 
can look over a violation of it without the 
satisfaction it demands; and the atone- 
ment of the Son of God was nothing 
more than this governmental display, 
which would be unworthy of an earthly 
king. This theory is, however, becoming 
very popular at the present day; and what 
is more strange, it is advocated by some 
8* 



90 FREE GRACE. 

who call themselves Presbyterians, and 
profess attachment to the Confession of 
Faith, though they are not now in our 
connection. But to see in a still clearer 
light the unreasonableness of these sys- 
tems, we have only to consider what are 
in reality the claims of God's law, as laid 
down in the Bible, which, I have already 
said, is necessary to a right understanding 
of the subject. "Love the Lord with all 
thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with 
all thy strength, and with all thy mind, 
and thy neighbour as thyself," is what God 
claims of all his intelligent creatures. 
And will any one say he asks too much, 
or that it would be consistent with his 
character to accept of anything less? 
"God is love;" and in this summary of 
his law he has given us a transcript of his 
character. It is the same grand principle 
that binds angels, and all the intelligent 
universe. It is like himself, and all his 
works; simple, yet grand, majestic, and 
glorious in its simplicity. It extends to 
every faculty and power of the creature, 
"heart, soul, strength, and mind;" and, 
being thus the basis, or grand principle of 
his moral government, it is as unchangea- 
ble as himself. The moment he should 
dispense with any of its requirements, and 
accept from a creature an obedience that 



FREE GRACE. 91 

was defective, the stabilities of his throne 
would be undermined. Hence, Christ says, 
that "till heaven and earth pass, one jot or 
one tittle shall in no wise pass from the 
law, till all be fulfilled. Think not that I 
am come to destroy the law, or the pro- 
phets. I am not come to destroy, but to 
fulfill. "—Matt. v. 17, 18. It is, therefore, 
not only absurd, but impious, to plead 
that the law is changed, for the accommo- 
dation of sinful man. Sooner may we ex- 
pect Jehovah to annihilate universal crea- 
tion, than give up " one jot or one tittle" 
of that law, which is the transcript of his 
character. Now, it is this law, which 
claims obedience originally from us, and 
its claims we must answer in ourselves, or 
by another, if we would inherit eternal 
life; and I presume I need not stay to 
prove, that no sinner of Adam's race can, 
in himself, answer its demands. 

It is proper, also, that we should notice 
here the penalty by which obedience to 
the law of God is enforced. It corres- 
ponds with the law in its greatness and 
justice. Death, with all the dreadful con- 
sequences which the Bible attaches to that 
term, when speaking of it as a penalty 
threatened, is a punishment in which will 
be exhibited for ever the greatness, jus- 
tice, and majesty of God, and his law. 



92 FREE GRACE. 

We, therefore, as sinners, having incurred 
this penalty, the law has a two-fold claim 
upon us — satisfaction and restitution. The 
law must be satisfied, to place us on terms 
of reconciliation with God ; and then it 
requires complete and perfect obedience 
to entitle us to life. It is equally plain, 
that no finite creature can give to the law 
the infinite satisfaction it requires; and 
this is one reason that the punishment of 
the wicked must be eternal. 

Con. — Mankind are then, by nature, in 
a very wretched condition. 

Min. — That is very true ; and this is no 
doubt one reason that so much opposition 
is manifested toward the doctrines of 
grace. Volumes have been written, the 
Scriptures have been perverted, and every 
expedient has been tried, to prove that the 
spiritual condition of mankind is not so 
bad. But the only effect that can result 
from it, is to make sinners more careless. 
It is always best for us to know the worst 
of our spiritual condition. If there were 
no remedy provided, it would be humane 
to endeavour, as far as possible, to allay 
fears that could be of no avail. But when 
God has graciously provided a remedy, it 
is unfaithfulness to the Saviour, aud cru- 
elty to the souls of men, to attempt to 



FREE GRACE. 93 

hide, in the smallest degree, their real 
condition. 

But this brings us to speak of what 
God, in infinite mercy, has done to save 
us from this wretched condition. The 
Son of God took upon himself to answer 
the claims of the law in our stead, both as 
it respects obedience and satisfaction, and 
in both respects satisfied its claims to the 
full. By his obedience and sufferings he 
has wrought out a righteousness, on the 
ground of which we may be accepted. 
And here again, God deals with us on the 
principle of representation. The Saviour 
stood, and still stands, as our representa- 
tive and agent. Our sins were imputed 
to him — that is, they were set to his ac- 
count — he engaged to answer for them, 
and was thus treated as a sinner. On the 
other hand, his righteousness is imputed 
to us ; that is, it is set to our account, and 
we are treated as righteous, on the ground 
of what he has done for us. All this is 
briefly, yet clearly expressed in our Con- 
fession of Faith and Catechisms. " Justi- 
fication is an act of God's free grace, 
wherein he pardon eth all our sins, and ac- 
cepteth us as righteous in his sight, only 
for the righteousness of Christ imputed 
to us, and received by faith alone." — 
Shorter Cat., Quest. 33. 



94 FREE GRACE. 

Con. — What do you understand by faith, 
as you use the term in this connection ? 

Min. — It is simply the act of the soul in 
casting itself upon Christ, and trust- 
ing to his righteousness for salvation ; or, 
as our catechism expresses it, " Faith in 
Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby 
we receive and rest upon him alone for 
salvation, as he is offered to us in the Gos- 
pel." — Quest. 86. Christ is offered us in 
the Gospel, as a Saviour who has fulfilled 
the law, and satisfied the justice of God in 
our stead ; and we are invited to come, 
and be saved through him. When we ac- 
cept of him as our Saviour, and cast our- 
selves upon him for salvation, the act of 
the soul in so doing is faith ; and hence, 
in this sense, it is called " saving faith." It 
is then that the righteousness of Christ is 
set to our account, and made ours through 
faith. 

Con, — Is faith, then, a necessary condi- 
tion of our salvation ? 

Min. — It is necessary, but can hardly be 
called a condition, in the sense in which 
the term is generally used ; at least it is 
not a meritorious condition. There can 
be no merit in simply accepting a thing 
offered, though it is necessary that we ac- 
cept it before it can be ours. It is in this 
sense that faith is necessary to our salva- 



FREE GRACE, 95 

tion. "We must accept of the salvation 
offered through Christ ; and in the accept- 
ance of it, God makes it over to us. 
Hence, the catechism says, it is " received 
by faith alone." And from this, also, you 
will be able to understand the numerous 
texts of Scripture which speak of salva- 
tion by faith. a He that believeth and is 
baptized shall be saved, but he that be- 
lieveth not shall be damned." — Mark xvi. 
16. " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, 
and thou shalt be saved." — Acts xvi. 31, 
&c. We are also said to be " justified by 
faith." — Eom. v. 1. " Therefore it is of 
faith, that it might be by grace." — Rom. 
iv. 16. " Justified freely by his grace 
through the redemption that is in Christ 
Jesus." — Rom. iii. 24. Besides many other 
passages, which I need not enumerate. 

Con. — But a difficulty presents itself to 
my mind here, respecting the atonement 
of Christ, and which I have heard urged 
against the doctrine of an infinite satisfac- 
tion being given, or the full penalty of the 
law endured by him. How could he give 
an infinite satisfaction in so short a pe- 
riod ? He did not suffer eternally, nor 
did he suffer remorse, &c, which was due 
the sinner. 

Min. — Eternal death, strictly speaking, 
was not the penalty of the law. It became 



96 FREE GRACE. 

so from the nature of the persons incur- 
ring it. They are finite, and cannot give 
the full satisfaction, in all conceivable 
time; therefore, they must atone for their 
sins eternally. But an infinite being may 
give infinite value to an atonement in time. 
Thus, the divinity of the Son of God 
stamps his atonement with infinity. We 
are told he " magnified the law, and made 
it honourable. " No finite being could thus 
magnify the law, or show its greatness and 
dignity in any clearer light, because it was 
made for them, and all owe it obedience. 
But the Son of God, being infinite in all 
the perfections of Deity, did not owe it 
obedience for himself; and when he made 
it the rule of his life, and condescended 
to satisfy its claims, he "magnified it, and 
made it honourable," in a light in which it 
never was before. Its holiness, justice, 
majesty, and excellence, are displayed in a 
more glorious light than they could have 
been in any other conceivable way. The 
law is more honoured and magnified by 
the obedience and satisfaction rendered to 
it by the Son of God, than it could have 
been by the perfect obedience and eternal 
death of all the intelligent creatures in the 
universe. Hence, the apostle calls it "the 
righteousness of God." — Bom. iii. 21, 22, 
and in several other places. It is this obe- 



FREE GRACE. 97 

dience and satisfaction of the Son of God, 
that constituted the glorious righteous- 
ness, on the ground of which God has 
offered salvation to all who believe on his 
Son. It is a righteousness as great, per- 
fect, holy, infinite, and glorious as God 
himself; a righteousness, on the ground 
of which he can be just, and yet the jus- 
tifier of every one who will believe, how- 
ever sinful and polluted he may be. Nay, 
more : it is a righteousness, on the ground 
of which he cannot only be barely just, 
but also glorious in its exercise. His jus- 
tice, holiness, truth, mercy, and every at- 
tribute, will be for ever glorified in the 
justification extended to every believing 
sinner, through the glorious righteousness 
of his Son. 

Now, when God has lavished his love 
and wisdom on such a plan of salvation, 
so glorifying to himself, and so suitable 
for us, how strange that men, in the pride 
of opinion, will endeavour to find out 
another ! And when we are offered such 
a righteousness as the ground of our sal- 
vation, we may well ask whether any one 
truly loves the Saviour, who will bring up 
his own faith and obedience, and plead 
them before God as meriting salvation; 
as if the glorious righteousness of the Son 
of God were not sufficient. 
9 



98 FREE GRACE. 

Con. — It cannot be salvation by grace, 
if we merit it in any degree ourselves. 
Any true Christian will desire to ascribe 
all the glory to his Saviour. At least it 
so seems to me. It surely contributes in 
no small degree to the enjoyment of the 
believing sinner, to ascribe all the praise 
to his Saviour. 

Min. — Let us now see what the Bible 
says on these points. And first let us ex- 
amine what proofs it contains that our 
sins were imputed to Christ, and that he 
took our place under the law. Isa. liii. 4, 
5 — " Surely he hath borne our griefs and 
carried our sorrows. * * But he was 
wounded for our transgressions ; he was 
bruised for our iniquities ; the chastise- 
ment of our peace was upon him ; and 
with his stripes we are healed. All we 
like sheep have gone astray; we have 
turned every one to his own way; and the 
Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us 
all." Verse 11 — " By his knowledge shall 
my righteous servant justify many, for he 
shall bear their iniquities/ ' Verse 12 — 
"He bare the sin of many." 2 Cor. v. 21 
— " He hath made him to be sin for us, * * 
that we might be made the righteousness 
of God in him." Here both truths are 
plainly stated, that our sins are set to hia 
account, and his righteousness to ours. 



FBEE GRACE. 99 

There is no other conceivable sense in 
which he could be "made sin," or we 
"made the righteousness of God." 1 Pet 
ii. 24 — "His own self bare our sins in his 
own body on the tree ; by whose stripes 
ye are healed." Here, again, both truths 
are thrown together. 1 Pet. iii. 18 — 
"Christ also hath once suffered for sin, 
the just for the unjust, that he might bring 
us to God." These, with all the texts 
which speak of him as " dying for us," 
and being a "propitiation for us," and a 
" propitiation for our sins," (of which kind 
hundreds might be adduced,) prove the 
doctrine of his substitution in our stead, 
as plainly as language can prove it. If 
they do not prove that the death of Christ 
was a true and proper sacrifice for sin in 
our stead, human language cannot state it. 
That his righteousness is imputed to us, 
is taught in language equally plain. And 
I would observe that all the passages which 
deny salvation by "works," the "deeds 
of the law," &c, by necessary implication, 
prove that we are saved only by the right- 
eousness of Christ. Eom. iii. 20 — 28 — 
" Therefore by the deeds of the law shall 
no flesh be justified in his sight. But now 
the righteousness of God without the law 
is manifested, * * even the righteousness 
of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, 



100 FREE GRACE. 

unto all, and upon all them that believe. 
Being justified freely by his grace through 
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 
whom God hath set forth to be a propitia- 
tion through faith in his blood, to declare 
his righteousness for the remission of sins 
that are past, through the forbearance of 
God. To declare, I say, at this time, his 
righteousness that he might be just and 
the justifier of him which believeth on 
Jesus. Where is boasting then ? It is ex- 
cluded. By what law ? Of works ? Nay ; 
but by the law of faith. Therefore, we 
conclude that a man is justified by faith, 
without the deeds of the law." Now, is it 
not strange that any one pretending to 
common sense, and to be guided by the 
Bible, would, in the face of all this plain 
and unequivocal language, uphold salva- 
tion by works, in any degree whatever? 
But further still, the apostle reasons the 
case at length in the fourth chapter ; and 
in the fifth, in drawing a parallel between 
Christ and Adam, states the doctrine again 
with equal plainness. Rom. v. 18 — " By 
the righteousness of one, the free gift 
came upon all men unto justification of 
life." Verse 19 — "By the obedience of 
one shall many be made righteous." Chap. 
x. 3, 4 — "But they being ignorant of God's 
righteousness, and going about to estab- 
lish their own righteousness, have not sub- 



FREE GRACE. 101 

mitted themselves to the righteousness of 
God. For Christ is the end of the law 
for righteousness to every one that be- 
lieveth." Phil. iii. 9— " That I may win 
Christ and be found in him, not having 
mine own righteousness, which is of the 
law, but that which is through the faith 
of Christ, the righteousness which is of 
God by faith.' ' But I need not multiply 
quotations, which might be done to almost 
any extent. 

Con.- — I find that the Calvinistic doc- 
trines are justly styled the doctrines of 
grace, and yet those who deny them, lay 
strong claims to a system of "free grace," 
and "free salvation." 

Min. — It is only another of their incon- 
sistencies. How can that be free, which 
is merited or bought by works ? If our 
good works merit salvation, it is a contra- 
diction in terms to call it free. So Paul 
reasons, Rom. iv. 4 — -"To him that work- 
eth is the reward not 'reckoned of grace, 
but of debt." And further, verse 16 — 
" Therefore it is of faith, that it might be 
by grace." And again, Rom. xi. 6 — "If 
it be of works, then it is no more grace." 
So, according to Paul, they can lay no 
claim to the doctrine of a " free salvation," 
who maintain that it is in any sense by 
works. 

9* 



DIALOGUE IX. 

GOOD WORKS. 

Convert — Since our last conversation I 
have been reflecting upon the doctrine of 
imputation, and examining the Bible, and 
find that it is one of its plainest doctrines. 
And in taking all its features, and view- 
ing them together, they present a very 
grand scheme, and show the glorious work 
of redemption in a light that I think must 
surely recommend it to any burdened and 
heart-broken sinner, seeking to escape the 
wrath of God. And though I feel that it 
is the only doctrine upon which I can 
safely depend, yet is it not liable to objec- 
tion, on the ground that it leaves good 
works and holy living entirely out of 
view ? 

Minister. — It only leaves them out of 
view as the meritorious ground of our 
salvation ; but in every other respect it se- 
cures and establishes them. This is the 
very objection which Paul meets in the 
last verse of the third chapter of his epis- 
tle to the Romans. He lays down, in lan- 
(102) 



GOOD WORKS. 103 

guage that cannot well be misunderstood, 
the truth that we are "justified by faith, 
without the deeds of the law;" and then, 
knowing that the objection you speak of 
would be urged against it, he anticipates 
it in the last verse : " Do we then make 
void the law through faith?" That is, if 
we by faith place all our dependence for 
salvation upon the righteousness of Christ, 
and none upon our own obedience to the 
law, will it not make us careless about that 
obedience, and lead us to think that the 
law has no further claims upon us, and 
thus "make void the law," as requiring 
of us a holy life ? But how does he an- 
swer it ? " God forbid : yea, we establish 
the law." This might be sufficient; but 
it will not be amiss to look a little further, 
and see how faith establishes the law. 
"We have already seen how it establishes 
the law, in answering all its claims through 
the righteousness of Christ; and that it 
establishes it also as tKe believer's rule of 
life, is equally plain. To show this, I 
need not go further than your own expe- 
rience. "When you first obtained a hope 
of salvation through Christ, what seemed 
to be the most prominent feeling of your 
heart? 

Con. — I was overwhelmed with a sense 
of the love of God, as manifested through 



104 GOOD WORKS. 

the Saviour. And when I thought of the 
Son of God, suffering and dying to re- 
deem me from hell, I felt as if it would be 
the joy of my life to serve him with my 
whole heart. 

Min. — Do you think it possible for any 
one to exercise faith in Christ for salva- 
tion, without experiencing, in some de- 
gree, the same feelings of love and devo- 
tion? 

Con. — I do not see how it is possible for 
any one to look to the Son of God as his 
Saviour, without loving and desiring to 
serve him ; and at the same time, desiring 
to be made holy, and conformed to his im- 
age and example. 

Min. — You have now answered the ob- 
jection in your own experience, which is, 
in a greater or less degree, the experience 
of every true Christian. True faith will 
never be found in the heart of any one, 
without producing its legitimate effects, 
love to Christ, hatred of sin, and a desire 
after holiness, and conformity to the law 
of God in all its parts. So Paul describes 
it. Gal. v. 6 — " Faith which worketh by 
love." And Peter, in Acts xv. 9, ascribes 
to it the effect of "purifying the heart." 
And in Acts xxvi. 18, we are said to be 
" sanctified by faith." So it is plain, both 
from Christian experience and from Scrip- 



GOOD WORKS. 105 

ture, that the effect of faith is to produce 
love and holiness in the heart of the be- 
liever ; and thus his sanctification is car- 
ried on. Faith is the first act of a regen- 
erated soul; and then immediately the 
work of sanctification commences, which 
is carried on through the instrumentality 
of faith. It sanctifies as well as justifies. 
Just as surely as any one has the faith that 
justifies, he has also the faith that sancti- 
fies. It is impossible to separate them. 
It is true, faith is not meritorious in either 
case, but only instrumental ; but it is al- 
ways just as surely instrumental of the 
one as of the other. It is absurd to suppose 
that any one can have faith in Christ, that 
is, depend upon him for salvation, without 
loving him; and it is equally absurd to 
suppose that any one could love him, with- 
out at the same time desiring to obey all 
his commands. And I know not how any 
true Christian, who really loves his Saviour, 
and understands his own heart, can plead 
the objection that an entire dependence 
upon Christ for salvation, weakens his 
sense of obligation and " makes void the 
law." It is a reflection cast upon true re- 
ligion, unworthy of a Christian. 

All this is plainly taught in our Confes- 
sion of Faith, as well as the Bible. Chap. 
11, sec. 2— -" Faith, thus receiving and 



106 GOOD WORKS. 

resting on Christ and his righteousness, is 
the alone instrument of justification ; yet 
it is not alone, in the person justified, but 
is ever accompanied with all other saving 
graces ; and is no dead faith, but worketh 
by love." Again, chap. 16, sec. 2 — "These 
good works, done in obedience to God's 
commandments, are the fruits and evi- 
dences of a true and lively faith,' ' &e. 
And that faith should, and does produce 
these effects, is surely a dictate of common 
sense. Let any one have true faith, and 
then holiness of heart and life is a certain 
consequence. 

Con. — But is faith not sometimes to be 
understood in a more extended sense, than 
simply depending on and trusting in Christ 
for salvation ? 

Min. — Though this is its principal act, 
it extends to, and acts upon, everything 
that God has revealed. As it is expressed 
in our Confession, chap. 14, sec. 2 — "By 
this faith a Christian believeth to be true 
whatsoever is revealed in the word, for the 
authority of God himself speaking therein ; 
and acteth differently upon that which 
each particular passage thereof contain- 
eth ; yielding obedience to the commands, 
trembling at the threatenings, and embrac- 
ing the promises of God for this life, and 
that which is to come," &c. The apostle 



GOOD WORKS. 107 

also says, " By faith we know the worlds 
were made," &c. And again, " He that 
cometh to God must believe that he is, 
and that he is the rewarder of them that 
diligently seek him." But faith in all 
these acts is subordinate, and dependent 
for its right exercise upon the principal 
act. It is only when we are brought to 
look to God through Christ, that we have 
right views of his character as he is re- 
vealed in his word, and admit with the 
heart all his claims. Then we see, in a true 
light, what he says of the evil of sin, the 
justness of our condemnation, and the 
freeness of his mercy and grace in our 
justification. Then, when we look into 
his word, all its blessed truths come home 
to our hearts, with a point and clearness 
before unknown. Its threatenings and 
promises, precepts and exhortations, have 
a peculiar force and pungency, which tell 
upon our conduct and pursuits, and pro- 
duce earnest desires for sincere and con- 
stant obedience. "With the heart, man 
belie veth unto righteousness." Thus faith 
secures holiness ; and view it as we may, 
either in its principal act of dependence 
on Christ for salvation, or in its cordial ac- 
ceptance and approval of all the other 
truths of God's word, it " establishes the 
law" as the great rule of obedience, in 



108 GOOD WORKS. 

conformity to which the believer strives 
to live. "Working by love," which is 
"the fulfilling of the law," it secures this 
glorious result, wherever it is found in sin- 
cerity and truth. 

Thus, the plan of salvation exhibits the 
wisdom of God in all its features. It 
saves lost sinners, transforms them from 
sin, and secures the practice of holiness, 
yet in a way that excludes boasting or self- 
glorification in the smallest degree, and 
gives all the praise to God. 

Con. — But is there not some sense in 
which faith and holiness commend us to 
God? 

Min. — They commend us to God as obe- 
dient children striving after conformity to 
his law, and reflecting his image. Eph. 
v. 1, 2 — " Be ye followers of God as dear 
children, and walk in love, as Christ also 
hath loved us, and given himself for us." 
Of such Paul says, Rom. ii. 29 — " Whose 
praise is not of men, but of God." Indeed, 
the Scriptures everywhere teach that good 
works, by which I mean all the graces of 
piety brought out into active operation, 
are pleasing to God; and only in their 
performance can we expect his blessing, 
and the approving smiles of his counte- 
nance. And this is said to be one grand 
object of salvation. Tit. ii. 14— "That 



GOOD WORKS. 109 

he might purify to himself a peculiar peo- 
ple, zealous of good works." Besides, 
they are evidences of the sincerity of our 
faith, both to God and man. It is only in 
their performance that we can "let our 
light shine," and exhibit to the world the 
excellency of that religion we profess. 
They are the true tests of Christian love ; 
and even in the sight of God prove our 
faith to be of the right kind. As he said 
to Abraham, "Now I know that thou 
fearest God." And the apostle James 
tells us, that "by works his faith was 
made perfect." — James ii. 22. That is, it 
was proved to be of the right kind. 

Con. — But does not James say in the 
same connection, that Abraham was justi- 
fied by works ? And how is this to be re- 
conciled with the language of Paul ? 

Min. — The most common interpretation 
given to the language of James is, that he 
was speaking of our Justification in the 
sight of men. And it is true, that it is 
only by good works that we can sustain a 
Christian character. But the apostle evi- 
dently speaks of justification in the sight 
of God ; for he says in the 14th verse, 
" Can faith save him ?" The doctrines 
called Antinomianism were prevalent in 
the days of the apostle, which taught that 
the gospel released believers from obe- 
10 



110 GOOD WORKS. 

dience to the law, and it is very evident 
that it was against this that James was 
writing, and also no doubt to refute the 
doctrine that justifying faith was a mere 
speculative belief, which produced no sanc- 
tifying influence upon the heart. In verse 
14 he says, "What doth it profit, my bre- 
thren, though a man say he have faith and 
have not works? can faith save him?" 
That is, can that kind of faith save him ? 
In the original it is "he pistis" the faith, 
or the kind of faith mentioned. In the 
19th verse he says, "Thou believest there 
is one God ; thou dost well ; the devils 
also believe and tremble.' ' From this it 
is very plain that the faith of which he is 
speaking, and which he says cannot save 
a man, is the same that the devils have ; 
and he adds in the following verses, " Wilt 
thou know, vain man, that faith with- 
out works is dead ? Was not Abraham, 
our father, justified by works when he had 
offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 
Seest thou how faith wrought with his 
works, and by works was faith made per- 
fect? And the Scripture was fulfilled 
which saith, Abraham believed God, and 
it was imputed unto him for righteousness. 
Ye see, then, how that by works a man is 
justified, and not by faith only." The 
Scripture, which the apostle says was 



GOOD WORKS. Ill 

fulfilled by Abraham offering his son, is 
Gen. xv. 6. "And he believed in the 
Lord, and he counted it to him for right- 
eousness." The faith that Abraham exer- 
cised in this instance was belief and con- 
fidence in the promise that he should have 
a son, including the promise of a Sa- 
vior. It was by this act of faith that 
Abraham was justified, as Paul tells us in 
Rom. iv. 3, 10, 11 — " Abraham believed 
God, and it was counted unto him for 
righteousness/ ' "How was it then reck- 
oned? When he was in circumcision, or 
in uncircumcision ? Not in circumcision, 
but in uncircumcision. And he received 
the sign of circumcision, a seal of the right- 
eousness of the faith which he had, yet 
being uncircumcised." 

Here both apostles are plainly together, 
in teaching that Abraham was justified by 
that act of faith. But this was more than 
twenty years before the offering of his son, 
in which James says * this Scripture w T as 
fulfilled. Wow, will any one pretend that 
the apostle intended to teach, that Abra- 
ham was not justified until he offered his 
son? This would be inconsistent both 
with scripture and common sense, and the 
language of the apostle himself. In what 
sense, then, was this scripture fulfilled in 
the offering of his son ? Plainly in this, 



112 GOOD WORKS. 

that he thereby proved his faith to be of 
the right kind, a genuine faith of the gos- 
pel, working by love, and producing obe- 
dience to the commands of God. There 
is no other conceivable sense in which it 
could be fulfilled. Neither can we suppose 
that the apostle intended to teach, that 
true evangelical faith is ever found with- 
out good works ; and unless we deny a 
plain passage of scripture, written by 
Moses, and quoted by both James and 
Paul, we must conclude that he only in- 
tended to teach, that we cannot be justi- 
fied by a "dead faith," which is " without 
works;" and that a believing, active faith, 
which "works by love and purifies the 
heart," is necessary to our justification. 
For he expressly says, that " Abraham's 
faith was perfected by his works," that is, 
he showed thereby that it was not a dead 
faith. Therefore we are "justified by 
works, and not by faith only," inas- 
much as they are the evidence and certain 
fruits of a justifying faith. A faith that 
does not produce them is not only useless, 
but is worse than useless. It is a cheat, 
an injury to ourselves and others. When 
we, in the exercise of faith, confide our- 
selves to Christ for salvation, we do it 
upon his own terms, one of which is, to 
do whatsoever he commands. To do this 



GOOD WORKS. 113 

is not only the obligation, but the desire 
of every one who is truly united to him 
by faith. He who has the good works 
which spring from true faith is justified, 
but he who has them not is not justified, 
for they are inseparable. "Without holi- 
ness no man shall see the Lord." 

Con. — But is there not some sense in 
which our good works merit reward ? 

Min.— They will be rewarded ; but it 
will still be of grace. Christ tells us, Luke 
xvii. 10 — "When ye shall have done all 
these things which are commanded you, 
say, we are unprofitable servants ; we have 
done that which was our duty to do." 
Still they will all be graciously rewarded. 
Matt. x. 42 — " A cup of cold water given 
to a disciple in the name of a disciple, 
shall not lose its reward." Moses, we are 
told, Heb. xi. 26, "had respect unto the 
recompense of reward." We need not 
fear that God will overlook anything done 
with love to him through faith in his Son. 
It is revealed as one great ingredient in 
our happiness in heaven, that " our works 
shall follow us." — Rev. xiv. 13. We need 
not fear to expect too much at the hand 
of God. Only let us expect it in the right 
way, "not of debt, but of grace." Our 
works follow us in heaven. They do not 
go before, to open the heavenly gates, or 
10* 



114 GOOD WORKS. 

gain us access there. That is done by our 
Saviour. But they follow us, and shall be 
taken account of by our Saviour. "I was 
an hungered, and ye gave me meat," &c. 
And whilst we shall rejoice in the gracious 
and glorious reward which he condescends 
to bestow upon our poor service, the bur- 
den of our song shall be " to the praise of 
the glory of his grace." — Eph. i. 6. 

Con. — There is a passage of Scripture 
that I have met with somewhere, which 
says, "whatsoever is not of faith, is sin;" 
which I found difficult to understand ; but 
I think I now begin to see its meaning. 
As faith is the foundation of the other 
graces, nothing is acceptable to God which 
does not flow from right feelings. But 
still, is there nothing good in the outward 
morality and upright conduct of those who 
are out of Christ I 

Mm. — This involves the doctrine of 
ability, or what a man can do, and what 
he cannot do, in his natural state, which 
we will consider at our next interview. 



DIALOGUE X. 



INABILITY. 



Convert, — In examining the Confession 
of Faith, since our last interview, I find, 
in chapter 9, sec. 3, the following lan- 
guage, respecting man's inability ; " Man, 
by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly 
lost all ability of will to any spiritual good, 
accompanying salvation ; so, as a natural 
man, being altogether averse from that 
which is good, and dead in sin, is not able, 
by his own strength, to convert himself, or 
prepare himself thereunto." 

But the Bible commands men to repent 
and believe, and to make to themselves 
new hearts, &c. Now, is there not a seem- 
ing inconsistency in commanding what 
there is no ability to perform ? 

Minister. — There can be no inconsis- 
tency in commanding any one to the ex- 
tent of his obligation. "Whatever is the 
duty of any one, God has a right to com- 
mand, regardless of inability, when that 
inability is brought on by the sinner him- 
self, and is in itself wrong. It is surely 

(115) 



116 INABILITY. 

the duty of all to love God. It is a plain 
dictate of common sense, that when any 
one has done wrong, he ought to repent 
of it. But how can he repent of it if he 
loves the wrong ? We know that all men 
naturally love sin, and hate God. How 
can they repent of sin while they love it ? 
or how can they love God while they hate 
him? This is the "inability of will," 
of which the Confession speaks. The will 
is influenced in choosing and refusing, by 
the state of the heart. It is this that al- 
ways gives weight to the motives pre- 
sented. Whilst the heart is filled with 
enmity to God, all motives to love him are 
presented in vain. JSTow, the simple ques- 
tion is, can a man change his own heart ? 
What resources has he within himself, 
that he can bring to bear upon the deep 
rooted enmity of his heart, that will pro- 
duce such a change in the inner man, as 
to fill him with love for that which he 
hates ? The only faculty that could pos- 
sibly have any such effect, is the under- 
standing, or judgment; but it is so dark- 
ened, that it can have no proper concep- 
tion of holy and spiritual things. " The 
natural man/' says Paul, 1 Cor. ii. 14, 
"receiveth not the things of the Spirit of 
God, for they are foolishness unto him; 
neither can he know them, because they 



INABILITY. 117 

are spiritually discerned/ ' The apostle is 
contrasting the " spiritual" and " natural 
man," that is, the regenerate and unregen- 
erate, and this is what he tells us of the tin- 
regenerate. And the language he uses is 
much stronger than that used in our con- 
fession. " The natural man receiveth not 
the things of the Spirit of God." He re- 
jects them. All the motives by which 
their acceptance may be urged, are entirely 
without avail. And why? Because "they 
are foolishness unto him" — he has no 
proper conception of them. " Neither can 
he know them." He can have no proper 
understanding of their value, excellence, or 
necessity, " because they are spiritually 
discerned." In order to see them aright, 
and appreciate them, he must be made a 
" spiritual man." His understanding must 
be enlightened, and his affections changed. 
How any one can take a plain common 
sense view of this passage of Scripture 
alone, in its obvious sense, and yet contend 
for the doctrine of full ability, I am at a 
loss to see. Yet, it is equally plain, that 
those very things to which the " natural 
man" is thus wholly disinclined, he is un- 
der the strongest obligation to perform. It 
is his duty to love God with all his heart, 
and to "receive the things of the Spirit of 
God," and practise upon them — to repent 



118 INABILITY. 

of his sins, and to turn to God. Hence, it 
is perfectly consistent for God to command 
the sinner thus to do. It would be giving 
up the claims of his law if he did not. 

Con. — But is not the inability in the case 
inconsistent with the obligation ? 

Min.* — The idea that ability is the mea- 
sure of obligation is not uncommon ; and 
of late has been widely propagated as an 
axiom in morals and theology, and is hailed 
by many as a new discovery, that is to clear 
up the knotty points of perfect freedom of 
will, and absolute dependence on God. It 
is boldly asserted, that man is under no 
obligation to do anything, for which he has 
not full and perfect ability in himself. But 
this position is one of the most glaring ab- 
surdities to be found in the whole catalogue 
of errors, now afloat. If inability cancels 
obligation, Satan is under no obligation to 
love God, and his fiendish enmity to God 
and immortal souls is no sin. If I murder 
the head of a helpless family, I am only 
accountable for the murder, and not for the 
wretchedness and misery that I thus bring 
upon the family, which I have no power to 
alleviate. My inability to soothe the sor- 
rows, and alleviate the wants of the widow 
and orphans, cancels my obligation. There 
is no escape from such dreadful consequen- 
ces of the doctrine, except its abettors will 



INABILITY. 119 

go one step further back, and say that God 
is the author of man's inability to obey his 
commands. This, I presume, none will 
dare do. Man's inability is his own fault ; 
and to pretend that it frees him from 
obligation, subverts all moral government. 
Sin, then, is its own apology. The sin- 
ner can stand up boldly and say, I am 
not able in myself to love God. I hate him 
so that I cannot love him ; therefore I am 
not under obligation to love him. It lifts 
the sinner above the law of God. He re- 
quires obedience ; the sinner disables him- 
self; and, therefore, he is not bound to 
obey. Rebellion against God is then the 
only sure road to independence. But I 
need not follow such absurdities further. 
You can see clearly, that man's inability 
to obey the law of God, can in no sense 
free him from obligation. 

Con. — But has not man some kind of 
ability ? I have some* where in the course 
of my reading met with the doctrine that 
man is naturally able to love and serve God, 
but morally unable — that is, he could if he 
would. 

Min. — That the sinner's inability is mor- 
al, is admitted on all hands ; and that it is 
of such a nature that he could obey if he 
would, is not, I believe, denied by any. 
But this is the same as saying he could 



120 INABILITY. 

love God, if he loved him. The unwil- 
lingness to obey — the aversion to God, and 
holiness — is the inability in the case. This 
is the moral state of the soul ; it is wick- 
edly unwilling, and therefore unable, with- 
out a gracious change. Until such a change 
is effected, the sinner never will love God ; 
and in this sense, using the language of 
the Bible, we say he cannot, that is, there 
is no cause to produce the effect. Christ 
says, " No man can come to me, except the 
Father which has sent me, draw him." And, 
again, he shows the nature of this inability : 
" Ye will not come to me, that ye might 
have life." 

If those who contend that the sinner has 
a natural ability, would tell us plainly what 
they mean by it, and what it amounts to, 
we would know better how to answer them. 
If they mean by it that he has all his natu- 
ral faculties, we admit it. But if these are 
not a sufficient cause to produce the effect, 
why contend that they constitute an ability 
to do that which they cannot do ? Man 
has ability to love, and therefore has ability 
to love God, is about the amount of their 
reasoning. But this is about as wise as to 
say, that because it is the nature of water 
to flow, it therefore has a natural ability to 
flow up hill. This strikes you as an amusing 
absurdity ; but it is not a whit more absurd 



INABILITY. 121 

than to contend, because man has all his 
natural faculties, that, therefore, he has a 
natural ability to love God. The nature of 
water is a cause just as adequate to the pro- 
duction of the effect in the one case, as the 
naturev of man in the other. All his affec- 
tions and inclinations are turned away from 
God, and flow in an opposite direction. 

Con. — But we daily see men of the world 
living in some degree according to the 
commands of God. We see honesty, so- 
briety, and in short, morality in all its 
moral beauty, exhibited in the lives of un- 
regenerate men. Does not this contradict 
the idea of a total inability to do good ? 

Min. — Man has an ability to do many 
things that are good in themselves, and in- 
deed, to do anything predicable of his na- 
ture as man, which he chooses to do, or 
in other words, that he is willing to do. 
As it respects outward morality, many mo- 
tives may be brought to bear, which will 
induce men to live in accordance with its 
rules, viz. a respect for public opinion, a 
desire of reputation, &c, — and not unfre- 
quently, a hope that thereby they may re- 
commend themselves to God, and finally 
escape hell. Sometimes, indeed, it is their 
enmity to God and religion, that induces 
them to live lives of strict morality, that 
thereby they may compare with the Chris- 

11 



122 INABILITY. 

tian, whom they watch with an eagle eye, 
and endeavour to magnify his failures, in 
order to bring reproach upon religion. In 
all these instances, however, it is easy to 
see that " God is not in all their thoughts.'' 
Their hearts are still alienated from him, 
and they refuse to acknowledge his au- 
thority. They live morally, not because God 
has required it, but from some other selfish 
motive. They refuse to pray, neglect and 
violate the Sabbath, refuse to repent and 
confess the Son of God, neglect or oppose 
religion, and in short exhibit very plainly 
the enmity of their hearts to God. It is 
true, they will not admit that they hate 
God, and perhaps they think they do not ; 
but if they hate religion and holiness, they 
hate God, for this is his character. They 
cannot hate the one without hating the 
other, or love the one without loving the 
other. If any one love God, he will love 
religion, and yield himself in obedience to 
its dictates; and if he hate religion, he 
hates God. They are inseparable. Hence, 
Paul says, Rom. viii. 7 — " The carnal mind 
is enmity against God ; for it is not subject 
to the law of God, neither indeed can be." 
The apostle, you perceive, couples the hat- 
ing of God and his law together, as char- 
acteristic of every unregenerate man. 
Then while the heart is thus at enmity 



INABILITY. 123 

with God, the strictest outward morality 
is nothing in his sight, for he tells ns him- 
self, a The Lord looketh on the heart." 
Thus you perceive, that the doctrine of 
man's inability to change his own heart, 
and perform acceptable obedience, is not 
inconsistent with the fact, that unregener- 
ate men are often moral in their lives. 

Con. — But does it not destroy the dis- 
tinction between right and wrong, to main- 
tain that the moral man does no more to re- 
commend him to God, than the grossly 
wicked ? 

Min. — It is not meant that they are both 
viewed precisely in the same light. Christ 
commends the Pharisees for their morality, 
but reproves them for neglecting "the 
weightier matters of the law, judgment, 
mercy, and faith;" and tells them, also, 
that they could not enter into the kingdom 
of heaven, or be accepted of God, because 
in all their boasted morality their hearts 
were not right. All these things ye do, 
that ye may be seen of men. Verily, I 
say unto you, ye have your reward. God 
has so arranged, in his providence and go- 
vernment, that morality and amiability are 
rewarded. Or, perhaps, it would be better 
to say, that the reward which we most earn- 
estly seek shall be obtained. The supreme 
desire of the Pharisees was to obtain a high 



124 INABILITY. 

religious reputation, and they obtained 
it. They had their reward. If a man 
wishes to obtain the character of honesty, 
and gain the confidence of his neighbours, 
let him pursue the proper course, and he 
will obtain it — he has his reward. If 
a child loves his parents, and wishes to re- 
tain their affection and confidence, he has 
but to pursue the proper course, and he ob- 
tains it — he has his reward. But still 
it is true, in all such cases, that " to be seen 
of men" is the ruling motive, and " God 
is not in all their thoughts." They would 
pursue the same course if God had given 
no law; and as it respects his require- 
ments, their hearts are still in a state of 
rebellion. They- reject Christ, and the 
authority of God, altogether. And as 
there are different degrees of punishment 
in the future world, they may not, per- 
haps, be " beaten with as many stripes" 
as the grossly wicked, yet they are equally 
far from salvation, until the enmity of their 
hearts is changed, and they are led to the 
practice of morality and religion from love 
to God. n 

This may be illustrated on the simple 
principles of common justice and common 
sense. In a gang of pirates we may find 
many things that are good in themselves. 
Though they are in wicked rebellion 



INABILITY. 125 

against the laws of the government, they 
have their own laws and regulations, which 
they ohey strictly. We may find among 
them courage and fidelity, with many other 
things that will recommend them as pi- 
rates. They may do many things, too, 
which the laws of the government require, 
but they are not done because the govern- 
ment has so required, but in obedience to 
their own regulations. For instance, the 
government requires honesty, and they 
may be strictly honest, one with another, 
in their transactions, and the division of 
all their spoil. Yet, as it respects the go- 
vernment, and the general principle, their 
whole life is one of the most wicked dis- 
honesty. Now, it is plain, that whilst they 
continue in their rebellion they can do 
nothing to recommend them to the go- 
vernment as citizens. Their first step 
must be to give up their rebellion, ac- 
knowledge their allegiance to the govern- 
ment, and sue for mercy. So all men, in 
their natural state, are rebels against God ; 
and though they may do many things 
which the law of Gocl requires, and which 
will recommend them as men, yet nothing 
is done with reference to God and his law. 
But the regulations of society, respect for 
public opinion, self-interest, their own 
character in the sight of the world, or some 
11* 



126 INABILITY. 

other worldly or wicked motive, reigns 
supremely ; and God, to whom they owe 
their heart and lives, is forgotten ; or, if 
thought of at all, his claims are wickedly 
rejected, his counsels spurned, and the 
heart, in obstinate rebellion, refuses obe- 
dience. Now, it is plain, that while the 
heart continues in this state the man is a 
rebel against God, and can do nothing to 
recommend himself to his favour. The 
first step is to give up his rebellion, repent 
of his sins, turn to God, and sue for par- 
don and reconciliation through the Saviour. 
This he is unwilling to do, until he is made 
willing. He loves his sins, and will con- 
tinue to love them, until his heart is 
changed. 

You can now see clearly the force of the 
passage of Scripture, which you spoke of 
in our last conversation — " Whatsoever is 
not of faith is sin" — Rom. xiv. 23. The 
same truth is stated in Rom. viii. 8 — 
" They that are in the flesh cannot please 
God." And Heb. xi. 6— " Without faith 
it is impossible to please him." 

Con. — Are we then to conclude that all 
the good actions of unregenerate men are 
sins? 

Min. — They are not positively sinful in 
themselves, but sinful from defect. They 
lack the principle which alone can make 



INABILITY. 127 

them righteous in the sight of God. In 
the case of the pirates it is easy to see that 
all their actions are sin against the govern- 
ment. "While they continue pirates, their 
sailing, mending, or rigging their vessel, 
and even their eating and drinking, are all 
sins in the eyes of the government, as 
they are only so many expedients to ena- 
ble them to continue their piratical career, 
and are parts of their life of rebellion. So 
with sinners. While the heart is wrong, 
it vitiates everything in the sight of God, 
even their most ordinary occupations ; for 
the plain, unequivocal language of God is, 
"The ploughing of the wicked is sin." 
Prov. xxi. 4. 

Con. — This places all men, by nature, 
in a very dreadful condition — their whole 
life being nothing but sin — a "treasuring 
up of wrath against the day of wrath" — 
and no ability to help themselves. 

Min. — It places thefii entirely dependent 
upon the sovereign grace and mercy of 
their offended God. And this, according 
to the Bible, is their true condition. Such 
exhibitions of the true state of mankind 
are, I know, offensive to unregenerafte men 
generally ; and many have tried to find 
out a system of doctrines more palatable 
to the popular mind. But all such at- 
tempts are unfaithful to God, and the souls 



128 INABILITY. 

of men. That teacher of religion has but 
a poor errand to the sacred desk who at- 
tempts thus to "sew pillows under the 
arms" of his hearers, as Ezekiel describes 
the effeminate teachers in his day. It is 
an attempt to heal the hurt of the sinner 
slightly, and crying peace, where there is 
no peace. His lost, ruined, and helpless 
state needs to be constantly set before him ; 
and until he is brought to feel it, he will 
never seek help where alone it is to be 
found. 

Con. — But as the sinner's inability con- 
sists in his wicked love of sin, and un- 
willingness to love God, has he not some 
power over his will, that might be exer- 
cised in determining his choice of God and 
holiness ? 

Min. — I have already remarked, that the 
will in choosing is influenced by motives, 
and the motives preponderate according to 
the state of the heart, or moral taste. But, 
perhaps, it would be useful for us to look 
at this a little further, before proceeding to 
the arguments drawn from the Bible re- 
specting man's inability ; both of which 
we will consider at any time you may have 
leisure. 



DIALOGUE XI. 

FREE WILL. 

Minister. — The doctrine which we pro- 
posed to consider this evening, namely, the 
powers of the will, is one that involves a 
great many abstruse questions, which it 
would not, perhaps, be expedient to enter 
upon largely at present. But I will endea- 
vour to give you a plain, common sense 
view of it, if I can, without any metaphy- 
sical subtleties. 

Convert. — You spoke at our last inter- 
view of an inability of will ; but is this 
consistent with freedom of will ? Is not 
the will capable of acting freely, and of 
choosing what it pleases ? 

Min. — Certainly; but this is not the 
question at issue. It is admitted on all 
hands that the will is free, and does choose 
what it pleases. But the question is, 
whether the will has power to choose con- 
trary to what it pleases, or anything that 
is in direct opposition to what it does 
choose. It is admitted on all hands that 
choice is made according to the highest 

(129) 



130 FREE WILL. 

pleasure, or strongest inclination ; and the 
point to be considered is, whether it has 
power to choose, in direct hostility to its 
strongest inclinations, and whether these 
strongest inclinations do not always ope- 
rate in determining choice. 

Con. — But do not men often choose that 
which is contrary to their desires and in- 
clinations ? 

Min. — They often choose what is in 
some respects disagreeable; but there is 
always some other motive, which at the 
time influences the choice, which in other 
circumstances would not be made. For 
instance, a man may and can eat worm- 
wood, but he will not do it, unless there 
be some inducement presented, which in- 
fluences his choice in so doing, and makes 
it, for the time, his strongest inclination. 
But then the question still remains, 
while his ruling inclination, or pleasure, 
continues to choose as it does, that which, 
upon the whole, seems most desirable, is 
there any faculty or power in the will to 
act contrary ? — that is, is there any cause 
adequate to the production of such an ef- 
fect ? There can be no effect without an 
adequate cause ; and when there is a cause 
adequate to the production of an effect, 
there must be some greater cause to pre- 
vent that effect, or to produce its opposite. 



FREE WILL. 131 

Now, it is admitted on all hands, that mo- 
tives and inclinations are the causes which 
operate, in producing the acts of the will 
in choosing and refusing; and that the 
will always does act in the way in which 
the strongest inclinations lead. But it is 
still contended by the advocates of the hu- 
man ability scheme, that there is in the 
will a power to choose in opposition to its 
strongest inclination. But where is their 
proof? They admit, that though there is 
such a power, it never acts. Then it is 
admitted, that it is not a cause adequate to 
the production of the effect. "Why, then, 
contend for it? Of what use is it? It 
produces no effects in morals or religion. 
It only serves the purpose of some philo- 
sophizing theologians, to bolster up their 
system, which they find cannot stand with- 
out it. But let us look at it. A man in 
certain circumstances, with motives ope- 
rating without, and inclinations within, is 
induced to act in a certain way. He 
chooses that to which his strongest incli- 
nations lead him. Here are cause and ef- 
fect. Now, if under the same circum- 
stances, and with the same inclinations, 
his will has a power to choose the contra- 
ry of what it does, he either makes the 
choice, or he does not. If he makes the 
contrary choice, then his will chooses con- 



132 FREE WILL. 

trary to what it does choose, which is a 
self-contradiction. If he does not make 
the contrary choice, then there is no cause 
adequate to the production of the effect, 
and the power of the will to choose con- 
trary to its choice amounts to just nothing 
at all. 

Con. — But might he not choose other- 
wise if the will were so inclined? 

Min. — Certainly ; but that is not the 
point. I am endeavouring to show you, 
that it always does act as it is inclined ; 
but the point is, has it power to choose 
contrary to its choice, whether it be in- 
clined or not, and in spite of all opposing 
inclinations? Scales will turn in an op- 
posite direction, if there be a prepondera- 
ting weight — a cause adequate to the ef- 
fect — but without it they will not. No 
more will the will act in opposition to its 
strongest inclinations and motives. The 
cause in the one case is just as adequate to 
the production of the effect as in the other. 

Thus, the faculty of will, in good and 
bad men, exerts their volitions ; but the 
character of these volitions is determined 
under given motives, not by the natural 
faculty itself, abstractly considered, but 
by the moral state of the heart ; and if it 
be in a certain moral state, it cannot be a 
property of the will to put forth choices 



FREE WILL. 133 

of an opposite moral character, for it is ad- 
mitted that the heart always rules the 
choices of the will ; and consequently, you 
perceive, we are brought back to our for- 
mer conclusion, that man in his natural 
state is unable to love God, and put forth 
holy exercises, because his strongest incli- 
nations and desires lead in an opposite direc- 
tion. He is wickedly unwilling, and there- 
fore unable. He chooses sin deliberately 
and freely, and always will until a gracious 
change is w T ronght by the Spirit of God. 
" Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a 
man be born again he cannot see the king- 
dom of God." — John iii. 3. 

Con. — But when motives are presented, 
and the will chooses or refuses, according 
to the moral state of the inner man, with- 
out any power in itself to put forth choices 
contrary to that moral state, is the doc- 
trine not liable to objection, on the ground 
that the motives are often presented under 
circumstances over which the man has no 
control ? 

Min. — It is true that the motives are 
furnished in the providence of God. The 
murderer is kept in life, in God's provi- 
dence, and is indebted to God for strength 
to kill his victim, and also for the oppor- 
tunity. Joseph's brethren could not have 
cast him into the pit, or sold him, if it had 
12 



134 FREE WILL. 

not been so arranged in the providence of 
God that he was sent to them. In this 
way they were furnished with the exter- 
nal motive. And I know the objection is 
urged, that if God furnish the motives, he 
is in this sense the author of sin. But of 
all the objections of errorists, this is among 
the most silly, that because God places 
man in circumstances, and gives him op- 
portunities to do good, because he chooses 
to pervert them to evil purposes, God is, 
therefore, blamable with his sin. 

A man makes a musical instrument, with 
the design that it may delight him with its 
sweet, harmonious sounds; and when it is 
made he finds it "good." It answers the 
purposes for which it was designed per- 
fectly; but from some cause it becomes 
damaged, and then, under the same pro- 
cess which formerly produced harmony, 
there is now nothing but discord. Xow, 
it is plain, that though he is the author of 
the souncl,he is not the author of the discord. 
That arises from the defect of the instru- 
ment. And for certain reasons that may 
operate, he may keep it in order external- 
ly, and touch its strings, knowing that it 
will produce discord, and still not be the 
author of it. So God keeps in order the 
system of the world, in all its various ope- 
rations of life and action; and his provi- 



FREE WILL. 135 

dence with men is all so arranged, that if 
they were holy, the external motives he 
presents would at all times produce good 
results. Had not Joseph's brethren in- 
dulged a wicked hatred toward him, his 
coming to them would have afforded an 
opportunity of doing good to him and 
their aged father. But their wicked hearts 
perverted it into an occasion of evil. 

Con. — But does not this doctrine of in- 
ability tend to make sinners more careless ? 
"Will they not say, that as they cannot 
change their own hearts, all efforts to seek 
God, and all striving after holiness are use- 
less ? 

Min. — I believe it has just the oppo- 
site tendency. It is because the sinner 
does not feel his lost and helpless condi- 
tion, that he remains careless. There is 
not a careless sinner in the world, who is 
not a full believer in the doctrine of per- 
fect ability. It is his resolution to repent 
and turn to God at some future time, that 
keeps him easy ; and he feels perfectly 
competent to the task. He has no sense 
whatever of his absolute dependence upon 
God. He believes that it is something that 
he can attend to at any time, and at some 
convenient time he will do it. 

And just in proportion as you strengthen 
that belief, you increase his carelessness, 



136 FREE WILL. 

and lull him to sleep on the awful brink 
of eternal ruin. It is only when he is 
brought to feel his entire helplessness, and 
dependence upon sovereign grace, that he 
will seek help where it is to be found. 
Then, and not till then, will he rejoice in the 
truth, that his " help is laid upon one who 
is mighty to save." It is the hiding of this 
wholesome truth that has tended to make 
so many fitful professors of religion, and 
made religion with many to consist in a 
kind of spasmodic or occasional action. 
They are taught, that if they purpose to 
serve God, that is all the change they need ; 
and that this is as easily done as to raise 
the hand. They may, and often do, change 
the outward purpose ; but if the heart be 
not changed by divine grace, they will be 
sure to change back again. " He that 
striveth for the mastery, is not crowned, 
unless he strive lawfully." And the only 
lawful w r ay for a sinner to strive, is with a 
feeling of dependence on God, and with the 
earnest prayer, " Create in me a clean 
heart, God ; and renew a right spirit 
within me." 

Con. — I believe it is always best for us 
all to know the worst of our spiritual con- 
dition. 

Min. — Let us now look at what the Bible 
says on the doctrine of inability. And I 



FREE WILL. 137 

would remark, in the first place, that the 
doctrine is plainly taught in all those pas- 
sages which speak of the necessity of re- 
generation. John iii. 3 — " Except a man 
be born again, he cannot see the kingdom 
of God" — and 7— " Marvel not that I said 
unto thee, ye must be born again" — with 
many other passages, which I need not 
enumerate. 

Again, it is taught in all those passages 
which ascribe this work directly to the 
Spirit of God. John iii. 5 — " Except a 
man be born of water and of the Spirit, he 
cannot see the kingdom of God. ' ' Acts xvi. 
14 — " The Lord opened her heart, that she 
attended to the things which were spoken 
of Paul." 1 Thess. i. 5 — " Our gospel came 
not unto you in word only, but in power, 
and in the Holy Ghost." 1 Cor. 3, 6, 
and 7 — " I have planted, Apollos watered, 
but God gave the increase. So, then, nei- 
ther is he that planteth anything, neither 
he that watereth, but God that giveth the 
increase." Phil. ii. 13— " It is God that 
worketh in you, both to will and to do." 
Ezek. xxxvi. 26 and 27 — " A new heart also 
will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put 
within you ; and I will take away the stony 
heart out of your flesh, and I will give you 
a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit 
within you, and cause you to walk in my 

12 • 



138 FREE WILL. 

statutes." John i. 13 — " Which were born 
not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, 
nor of the will of man, but of God." But 
I need not enumerate further. The Bible 
everywhere ascribes the work of producing 
holiness in the heart of a sinner, to the di- 
rect agency of God. And there is not a 
single word or passage which ascribes it to 
the sinner himself. 

Con. — I do not recollect ever to have 
seen or heard it asserted, that any passage 
of Scripture directly asserts that the sinner 
is the agent in his own change of heart: 
but it is inferred from the fact that he is 
commanded to do it. 

Min. — That argument is based upon the 
false assumption, that there is nothing 
duty, which there is not full ability to per- 
form ; the absurdity of which, I think, I 
clearly showed you in our last conversation. 
But let us look at those passages of the 
Bible, which assert the doctrine of ina- 
bility in plain and unequivocal language. 
John vi. 44 — "No man can come to me, 
except the Father which has sent me, draw 
him." Eph. ii. 1 — " You hath he quick- 
ened, who were dead in trespasses and 
sins." 1 Cor. ii. 14 — "The natural man 
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of 
God, for they are foolishness unto him ; 
neither can he know them, because they 



FREE WILL. 139 

are spiritually discerned." Rom. viii. 7 
— " The carnal mind is enmity against 
God: for it is not subject to the law of 
God, neither indeed can be." These, with 
other passages, quoted in our former con- 
versation, " They that are in the flesh, can- 
not please God," &c, present the doctrine 
in language that cannot be softened down, 
without destroying their sense altogether. 



DIALOGUE XII. 

EFFECTUAL CALLING. 

Convert. — Since our last conversation, I 
have been reflecting on the views you pre- 
sented respecting human ability, and feel 
constrained to believe, that man in his 
natural state is not able of himself to 
change his own heart. Indeed, it is so 
plain a truth, that I now rather wonder 
that it should be controverted by any one 
who has thoroughly considered the subject. 
I find even the " Doctrinal Tracts" of the 
Methodist church, teach it in plain lan- 
guage. On page 134, it is said, that " no 
sinner can believe, but by the almighty 
power of God." But I find it also stated 
in the same connection, that God gives to all 
men " sufficient grace" to enable them to be- 
lieve, and consequently " their death lies 
at their own door." And, my Methodist 
neighbour contends, that if this were not 
done, God could not be sincere in offering 
salvation to all men. 

Minister. — That is the most common doc- 
trine of those who reject the doctrines of 
(140) 



EFFECTUAL CALLING. 141 

grace, respecting regeneration, effectual 
calling &c. : and, you might have observed, 
that the " Doctrinal Tracts," in the same 
connection, teach that this is necessary, 
not only " to maintain the sincerity of 
God," but also " to vindicate his equity at 
the great day, in condemning the impeni- 
tent." I am at a loss to know, how any 
amount of grace short of regeneration, can 
be called " sufficient." If it does not 
change the sinner's moral tastes and incli- 
nations, it is not sufficient to enable him 
to believe and repent. How can he repent 
of sin, when he still loves it ? There never 
was, and never will be, a single instance 
of a true penitent, whose heart is un- 
changed. I need not stay to prove, that 
God does not give " sufficient grace 
to all men," in this sense. The outward 
calls of the gospel are gracious, but no one 
except those who deny the operations of 
the Spirit altogether,* will contend that 
this is " sufficient." The .movements of 
the Spirit, which many experience in con- 
viction, are gracious, but all admit that 
these are not " sufficient." What could we 
think of a teacher of religion, who would 
tell a sinner under conviction, that he had 
grace enough, and need not look for more ! 
And, the fact of telling him to pray for 
more, and of praying for such an one that 



142 EFFECTUAL CALLING. 

he might have more given him, is sufficient 
proof that it is not deemed "sufficient." 
If this be what is meant by " sufficient 
grace," it is calling that sufficient which 
is not sufficient ; and, if they mean any 
other kind of grace, I know not what kind 
it is. 

Con. — It seems to me contrary to all 
Christian experience, to maintain that any 
kind or degree of grace, is sufficient to lead 
a sinner to Christ, short of that which 
changes his heart, and gives him new views 
and feelings. 

Min. — But you have not yet seen the 
worst feature of this doctrine of " sufficient 
grace to all men." It is based upon the 
assumption, that without bestowing this 
grace, God could not be sincere in offering 
salvation, or just in condemning unbe- 
lievers. Then he was bound to save all 
the human family without an atonement. 
For, if it would be unjust in him to con- 
demn them, it would be just to save them, 
and whatever is strict justice, he is bound 
by every perfection of his nature to do. 
Then, without the atonement, and this 
" sufficient grace," all men would be saved. 
But God has provided a Saviour, and gives 
this " sufficient grace," to make it consistent 
with his justice to condemn some, who do 
not believe. This not only makes God the 



EFFECTUAL CALLING. 143 

author of sin, but it makes him the author 
of the eternal death of every impenitent 
sinner. I do not suppose, that the abettors 
of the doctrine intend to teach a sentiment 
so grossly blasphemous, but the conclusion 
is legitimate and necessary. If what they 
teach be true, this must be true likewise. 

The same doctrine is taught in different 
language on page 154, of the " Doctrinal 
Tracts." " The moment Adam fell, he had 
no freedom of will left ; but God, when of 
his own free grace he gave the promise of 
a Saviour, to him and his posterity, gra- 
ciously restored to mankind a liberty and 
power to accept of proffered salvation." 
Now, if there were no freedom of w T ill 
there could be no accountability. It is a 
plain dictate of common sense, that a man 
is not accountable for anything he does not 
do willingly and freely. Then, where 
there is no freedom of will, there can be 
no sin. But God gave' them a freedom of 
will to capacitate them to sin. Hence, all 
mankind are sinners by the grace of God ! 
But I need not follow further the absurdi- 
ties of such doctrines. They are all only 
miserable shifts to get clear of the doc- 
trines of grace, and to fix up some scheme 
that will lead the helpless sinner away from 
his entire dependence on the free, unmer- 
ited, sovereign grace of God. 



144 EFFECTUAL CALLING. 

Con. — But, is this clearly reconcilable 
with the commands and exhortations of 
the Bible to come to Christ, which I have 
heard Presbyterian ministers urge as stren- 
uously upon sinners, as any other class of 
preachers ? 

Mm. — It is the duty of the sinner to 
strive; and, to those who do so, God has 
given gracious promises. But, they 
should always be taught to strive with a 
feeling of dependence, and earnest look- 
ing to God for grace. This is the course 
marked out in the word of God. " Work 
out your own salvation with fear and 
trembling, for it is God that worketh in 
you both to will and to do of his good 
pleasure." You perceive, that the apostle, 
instead of making the dependence of the 
sinner an excuse for doing nothing, makes 
it the ground of his encouragement to 
work. There is no language in our Con- 
fession of Faith more forcible or compre- 
hensive than this. God works in us 
"both to will and to do ;" and, thereupon, 
the apostle bases his exhortation to " work 
out our salvation." And, "what God 
hath joined together, let no man put asun- 
der." Let these things always be kept in 
mind, and followed out, and there is no 
danger of mistake in going too far on 
either hand. No one can err in striving 



EFFECTUAL CALLING. 145 

too earnestly for salvation, ]f it be done in 
the right way. No more can any one err, 
at the same time, in casting himself upon 
God, with too much dependence and 
earnest prayer for grace. Hence, boasting 
is excluded by the law of faith ; and every 
true Christian is prepared to say, "By 
the grace of God I am what I am." This, 
however, could not be the case, if any part 
of the work of regeneration were his own. 
"Who maketh thee to differ?" is the em- 
phatic inquiry of the apostle on this sub- 
ject; and, let any one who thinks he has 
had any part in his own regeneration, an- 
swer the question if he can, in accordance 
with the language of the Bible. 

You can now see the truth of the lan- 
guage of our catechism, when it says, 
" We are made partakers of the redemp- 
tion purchased by Christ, by the effectual 
application of it to us by his Holy Spirit." 
And further, "The Spirit applieth to us 
the redemption purchased by Christ, by 
working faith in us, and thereby uniting 
us to Christ, in our effectual calling." 
And, again, " Effectual calling is the work 
of God's Spirit, whereby convincing us of 
our sin and misery, enlightening our 
minds in the knowledge of Christ, and re- 
newing our wills, he doth persuade and 
enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely 
13 



146 EFFECTUAL CALLING. 

offered to us in the Gospel/ ' Shorter Ca- 
techism — answer to questions 29, 30, 31. 
This language any one may compare with 
Scripture. Rom. viii. 30 — " Whom he 
did predestinate, them he also called, and 
whom he called, them he also justified." 
2 Thess. ii. 13— " God hath from the be- 
ginning chosen you to salvation, through 
sanctification of the Spirit and belief of 
the truth." 2 Cor. iii. 3— "The epistle 
of Christ ministered by us, written, not 
with ink, but with the Spirit of the living 
God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshly 
tables of the heart." 2 Tim. i. 9— " Who 
hath saved us, and called us with an holy 
calling, not according to our works, but 
according to his own purpose and grace." 
Ezek. xxxvi. 26 — "A new heart also will 
I give you, and a new spirit will I put 
within you," &c. Ezek. xi. 19— " I will 
give them one heart, and I will put a new 
spirit within you." Psa. ex. 3 — "Thy 
people shall be willing in the day of thy 
power." Eph. ii. 1 — " You hath he quick- 
ened who were dead in trespasses and 
sins." Verse 5 — "Even when we were 
dead in sins, hath quickened us together 
with Christ, (by grace ye are saved.)" 
Verse 8 — "By grace are ye saved through 
faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the 
gift of God." But, I need not enumerate 



EFFECTUAL CALLING. 147 

further, though it would be easy to find 
hundreds of texts which teach the same 
truth. The Bible, you perceive, teaches 
abundantly the doctrine of " sufficient 
grace," but it is in a sense very different 
from that taught in the "Doctrinal Tracts." 
The sufficient grace of the Bible is that 
which finds man "dead in trespasses and 
sins, calls him with a holy calling, gives 
him a new heart, makes him willing, 
quickens him unto life, and leads him to 
Christ" — or, as our Catechism expresses 
it, "persuades and enables him to em- 
brace Jesus Christ." It is in this sense 
that "faith is the gift of God;" and, in- 
deed, this is the only conceivable sense in 
which it can be. 

Con.— But does not the doctrine of 
"sufficient grace to all men," meet, in the 
most satisfactory manner, the objection, 
that God is partial in giving more grace 
to some than to others? 

Min. — Even if it did, we are not bound to 
adopt it, when it is so plainly contradicted 
by the Bible. I believe, however, that 
this is the ground upon w T hich it is based. 
Men are unwilling to allow God his sove- 
reignty, either in providence or mercy. 
And when the Bible tells us he distin- 
guishes in his dealings with man, they re- 
ject the doctrine, and call it partiality in 



148 EFFECTUAL CALLING. 

God to give anything more to one than to 
another; and leaving the plain doctrine 
of revelation, endeavour to patch up a 
scheme of their own, which they boast of 
as vindicating the character of God, when, 
in fact, it robs him of his sovereignty. 
But still their scheme, instead of reliev- 
ing, increases the difficulty. 

Con. — How does it increase the difficul- 
ty? If God gives to all men the same 
amount of grace, there surely can be no 
charge of partiality. 

Min. — There would still be the same 
ground for the charge, unless he would go 
further, and place all men precisely in the 
same circumstances, and give them pre- 
cisely the same dispositions, that, accord- 
ing to this scheme, all might have precise- 
ly the same opportunities of improving 
their equal amount of grace. Similar 
causes operating in similar circumstances, 
must invariably produce similar effects. 
The amount of grace that is " sufficient' ' 
to lead one man to the Saviour, will in- 
variably lead another of the same disposi- 
tion, placed in similar circumstances. And 
if all men possessed the same dispositions, 
and were in the same circumstances, what 
is sufficient for one would be for another, 
and all would be saved. But all are not 
in the same circumstances, and have not 



EFFECTUAL CALLING. 149 

the same opportunities. Some are born 
of Christian parents, whose instructions 
and prayers are blessed to their conver- 
sion. Others are taught from their infan- 
cy to disobey God and contemn religion. 
Some never hear of a Saviour, or of the 
true God. Now, over these circumstan- 
ces, they themselves have no control ; and 
those who accuse God of partiality because 
he discriminates in grace, and contend 
that it would be injustice to bestow more 
upon one man than another, are bound to 
explain, upon the same principles, the 
facts of his providence, by which he or- 
ders the lots of men in the world. But 
here they will find an insuperable difficul- 
ty, because they cannot deny the fact, that 
some are placed in circumstances better 
calculated to result in their salvation, than 
others. 

How much more consistent with com- 
mon sense, and with, the disposition we 
ought to exercise toward God and his 
word, to take the simple language of the 
Bible, that " he has mercy on whom he 
will have mercy," and will have trophies 
of his grace out of all nations and classes 
of men. And whenever any one turns 
aside from the truth of the Bible, to recon- 
cile what, in the pride of opinion, he con- 
ceives to be difficulties, he will only find 
13* 



150 EFFECTUAL CALLING. 

himself surrounded with difficulties still 
more perplexing and insuperable. 

Con. — It seems to me a fact that cannot 
be disputed, that God distinguishes both 
in his providence and grace, and the ob- 
jection of partiality, I perceive, amounts 
to a denial of his sovereign right to do as 
he pleases, which the Bible everywhere 
ascribes to him, and which it must be im- 
pious to controvert, either directly or in- 
directly. 

But there is another point upon which I 
wish to have your views, about which I have 
felt some difficulty ; I mean the doctrine 
of perfect sanctification in this life. I feel 
that I am very far from what I should be, 
and my desire is to get clear of all sin. 
"We are commanded in the Bible to "be 
perfect;" and yet I know your church 
holds that absolute perfection is not attain- 
able in this life. I feel that it is a ques- 
tion of great practical importance, and 
would like to have all the information I can 
derive from every source. 

Mm. — Call at any time you find con- 
venient, and I will endeavour to give you 
a plain, scriptural view of it, both as it re- 
spects our duty and privilege. 



DIALOGUE XIII. 

SINLESS PERFECTION. 

Minister. — The doctrine we proposed to 
examine this evening, viz : Whether any 
one in this life ever attains to absolute sin- 
less perfection, is thus plainly expressed in 
our Confession of Faith: "No mere man, 
since the fall, is able in this life perfectly 
to keep the commandments of God, but 
doth daily break them, in thought, word, 
and deed." — Shorter Catechism, Ans. to 
Qu. 82. I need not stay to prove, that 
"the commandments of God" are our 
standard of holiness, and anything that 
comes short of a perfect fulfilment of all 
their requirements, in all respects, is not 
perfect obedience. And we not only sin 
in every positive violation of the law, but 
also in every want of perfect conformity to 
all its holy requirements. Gal. iii. 10 — 
" Cursed is every one that continueth not 
in all things which are written in the book 
of the law to do them." It is a plain dic- 
tate of common sense, as well as of the Bi- 
ble, that in failing to do, or to be, what 
God requires, is sinful, as well as doing, 

(151) 



152 SINLESS PERFECTION. 

or being, what lie forbids. Hence, our 
Catechism says — " Sin is any want of con- 
formity unto, or transgression of, the law 
of God."— Shorter Cat. Ans. to Qu. 14. 

Convert. — Are we then to account all our 
infirmities sinful ; and all our consequent 
mistakes and aberrations, whether volun- 
tary or involuntary ? 

Min. — Everything that is not in strict 
accordance with God's requirements must 
be sin. He requires nothing but holiness, 
and whatever he requires, it is our duty 
to give. I know it is said by the advo- 
cates of the doctrine of perfection, that our 
infirmities and mistakes are not sinful; 
and yet, they contradict themselves by 
saying, that " every such mistake, were it 
not for the blood of atonement, would ex- 
pose us to eternal damnation." — " Doctri- 
nal Tracts," p. 311. That is, God would 
be just in sending us to hell for ever, for 
that which is not sin ! A sentiment more 
derogatory to God can scarcely be ima- 
gined. It is only another attempt to de- 
grade the law of God — to take from it its 
strictness and spirituality, and bring it 
down to the low and common views enter- 
tained of it by men of the world. It is too 
generally lost sight of in the world, that 
the law of God, in its holy requirements, 
extends to the feelings of the heart, the 



SINLESS PERFECTION. 153 

thoughts, and exercises of the inner man ; 
and errorists almost uniformly fall in with 
the feelings of the world, and make the law 
of God a matter of such small moment, 
that perfect obedience is comparatively 
easy. But the Bible speaks in different 
language. "What it mainly insists upon, 
is right feelings and dispositions ; and it 
chiefly condemns feelings and dispositions 
that are wrong, because from these pro- 
ceed all the outward conduct. "Out of 
the heart," says Christ, "proceed evil 
thoughts, adulteries, murders," &c. And 
Solomon says, " Keep thy heart with all dili- 
gence, for out of it are the issues of life." 
Love is a feeling, repentance is a feeling, 
faith is an inward exercise of the soul, hu- 
mility is a feeling, hope, patience, resigna- 
tion, charity, meekness, kindness, content- 
ment, &c, are all feelings. Yet who that 
reads the Bible carefully, does not perceive 
that all these are required as indispensable 
duties ? And on the other hand, enmity to 
God is a feeling, unbelief is a feeling, sel- 
fishness, pride, impenitence, love of the 
world, covetousness, envy, anger, hatred, 
revenge, &c, are all feelings, and all are 
forbidden as the worst of sins. Hence, it 
is evident, that to form anything like a 
proper estimate of our character in the 
sight of God and his law, we must first 



154 SINLESS PERFECTION. 

and chiefly have respect to the feelings and 
dispositions of the heart. And before we 
can be perfect, we must in all these re- 
spects, be absolutely and entirely free from 
the least failure, and exercise all those feel- 
ings as purely as the angels in heaven. 

Con. — In that case, I do not believe that 
any one, who has a proper view of himself, 
will ever claim to be perfect. 

Min. — It is, I believe, generally claimed 
on the ground of perfect love. They claim 
to have perfect love ; and, as the apostle 
says, "love is the fulfilling of the law," 
therefore, they are perfect. But any one 
who thinks he has as much love as he 
ought to have, has very grovelling ideas of 
his obligations to God, or very superficial 
views of himself. But there are other 
classes of sins, which are rather consequent 
upon those of the heart and feelings, of 
which we must take account in forming a 
proper estimate of our character in the 
sight of God and his law. The Bible says, 
that vain, trifling, and foolish thoughts are 
sinful. Christ classes "evil thoughts'' 
with " thefts, murder, adultery," &c. " The 
wicked" is not only commanded to "for- 
sake his ways," but also " the unrighteous 
man his thoughts." Again, we are told, 
that " the thoughts of the wicked are an 
abomination unto the Lord," &c. And 



SINLESS PERFECTION. 155 

God says, in another place — "Hear, O 
earth, I will bring evil upon this people, 
even the fruit of their thoughts." Indeed, 
the character of the man seems to be in 
some measure determined by his thoughts. 
" For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is 
he." These passages, with many others 
that might be quoted, prove very clearly, 
that much sin is committed in thought. 
And if vain and foolish thoughts are sin- 
ful, we may not only ask, who is perfect ?— 
but, who can enumerate the sins of a sin- 
gle day? We should remember, too, that 
thoughts are the language of spirits, and 
each one has a tongue in the ear of God. 
Christ answered the thoughts of those 
around him, as if they had spoken. It is 
no wonder that God says, " every imagina- 
tion of the thoughts of man's heart, is evil 
continually." But this is not all, yet. We 
must also take into the account, the sins 
of our tongues. And here I need not 
speak of falsehood, slander, profanity, &c. 
These, all know and admit to be sins. But 
Christ says, that " every idle word, which 
men shall speak, they shall give account 
thereof in the day of judgment." Mere 
idle words, then, are sins, and 

Con. — But what are idle words ? 

Min. — All that are not necessary, and 
that do not tend to produce some good re- 



156 SINLESS PERFECTION. 

suit. The commands of the Bible are, 
44 Let no corrupt communication proceed 
out of your mouth, but that which is good, 
to the use of edifying ;" " let your speech 
be always with grace, that it may minister^ 
grace to the hearers ;" " nor foolish talking;^ 
nor jesting, which are not convenient, but 
rather giving of thanks." These rules 
may be thought too strict, by the advocates 
of perfection, but they are the rules which 
God lays down in his word, by which we 
are to order our conversation. Every word 
which does not comport with these rules, 
is an " idle word," and sinful in the sight 
of God. Then, where is the man who will 
stand up before God and say, that in this 
respect alone, he is free from sin ? 

But still more : When we take into the 
account our actions in general, the moun- 
tain rises still higher. Here I need not go 
further than to speak of our sins of omis- 
sion. The command is, " Withhold not 
good from him to whom it is due, when it 
is in the power of thine hand to do it, for 
to him that knoweth to do good and doeth 
it not, to him it is sin." From this it is 
plain, that whenever we have an opportu- 
nity of doing good, either to the souls or 
bodies of others, and neglect to improve it, 
we sin both against our fellow-men and 
against God. But further : God tells us, 



SINLESS PERFECTION. 157 

" "Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever 
ye do, do all to the glory of God." This 
applies to all our words and actions, and 
proves beyond controversy, that every 
word we speak, and every action we per- 
form, which is not done with a view to 
promote the glory of God, is sinful. Of 
how many sins, then, are we guilty ? 
And where is the perfect man, in this 
respect ? Again : we are commanded 
to "pray without ceasing," to " rejoice 
in the Lord always," &c. Every mo- 
ment that we have not a holy, prayerful 
frame of mind, we sin. It is admitted 
on all hands, that it is a sin to swear pro- 
fanely ; but few reflect that it is also a sin 
not to pray, whenever it is our duty or 
privilege. But I need not enlarge, though 
much more might be said in contrasting 
the obedience of the best men, with the 
high and holy requirements of the law of 
God. Enough has been said, however, to 
show you the truth of the language of our 
Confession, that "we daily break the com- 
mandments of God in thought, word, and 
deed." 

Con. — As it respects the simple fact, that 
all men are sinners, and that, in this life, 
no one ever attains to such a degree of per- 
fection in holiness as to be entirely free 
from sin, I think it cannot be controverted, 
u 



158 SINLESS PERFECTION. 

if we allow the law of God, in all its holy 
requirements, to be our standard. Indeed, 
I have never had much difficulty in my 
mind as to the fact, that all come far short 
of perfect holiness in this respect. But 
how are we to understand the commands 
of God requiring this perfection, if it be 
not attainable? 

Min. — The fact that it is unattained, and 
unattainable, does not arise from God, but 
from ourselves, and therefore it is no less 
our duty, and it should be the constant 
aim of every Christian. Indeed, no true 
Christian can rest satisfied with himself, 
while he feels any remaining corruption, 
and consequently the warfare is still con- 
tinued ; and, as the Bible expresses it, he 
goes on "from strength to strength." His 
standard of holiness is God himself, of 
whose character the law is a transcript. 
"With the command before him, "Be ye 
holy, for I the Lord your God am holy," 
he finds no place to stop short of this, un- 
til, like the angels in heaven, he reflects 
fully and perfectly the image of his Maker. 

Con. — But are there not some passages 
of Scripture, which favour the idea that 
some are perfect, or that perfection has 
been attained in this life by some ? 

Min. — "We are told to " mark the perfect 
man, and behold the upright, for the end 
of that man is peace." Paul says, " Let us 



SINLESS PERFECTION. 159 

therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus 
minded," &c. " Be perfect, be of good 
comfort,"&c. Noah, we are told, "was a 
just man and perfect," &c. But it is plain, 
from the connection in which the word is 
used in other places, that it does not mean 
an entire freedom from all sin. The pri- 
mary signification of the original word, 
which Paul uses in his exhortation to the 
Corinthians, "be perfect," is collecting to- 
gether the disjointed or broken parts of a 
body or system, so as to make it uniform 
or complete, and that no part be wanting, 
and there is such a thing attainable, and 
often attained, as perfection, in this sense : 
that is, a perfect gospel character. For in- 
stance, if a professor of religion be in the 
habit of prevarication, or if he be covetous 
or niggardly in his dealings, or in any way 
exhibits to the world traits of character in- 
consistent with his profession, they are 
blots in his Christian character which cast 
a shade over the whole, and excite doubts 
as to the reality of his piety. In this re- 
spect, every Christian should and can be 
perfect : that is, he should exhibit the Chris- 
tian character complete in all its parts. 
But to love God as much as we should, to 
exercise constant faith, in all the strength 
and unwavering confidence that he re- 
quires, to have hope, repentance, humility, 



160 SINLESS PERFECTION. 

and all the Christian graces and virtues in 
constant perfect operation, and to be en- 
tirely free from sin in the sight of God, is 
a very different matter. The Saviour evi- 
dently uses the term " perfect" in the for- 
mer sense, when speaking to the young ru- 
ler — " If thou wilt be perfect, go sell all that 
thou hast/' &c. Surely he did not mean, 
that thereby he would be free from all sin. 
Perfection, then, in the Bible sense, means 
integrity, sincerity in our profession, un- 
feigned love to God, and respect to all his 
commands. But as our time will not per- 
mit us to enter fully into the Bible argu- 
ments on this subject, we will defer it to 
our next interview^. 



DIALOGUE XIV. 

SINLESS PERFECTION. 

Convert — Your views of the sinfulness 
of all men in the sight of God, presented 
at our last interview, cannot, I think, be 
objected to, except on the ground that it is 
discouraging to the Christian to know that 
his desires cannot be accomplished, until 
he ends his earthly career. It must be the 
most earnest desire of every true Christian 
to be free from all sin ; and will it not 
have a tendency to paralyze his efforts to 
grow in grace, to know that his whole life 
is to be spent in endeavours to attain to 
that state of perfection which none ever 
find? 

Minister. — I believe it has just the oppo- 
site tendency, judging both from the Bible 
and all Christian experience. Would it be 
discouraging to a man on a journey, to 
know that the object he had in view was 
to be obtained only at the end of it ? It 
would tend to encourage him all the way, 
to know certainly that he would finish his 
journey, and there, and there only he 
14* (161) 



162 SINLESS PERFECTION. 

would obtain the object he had in view. 
The way might be long and the journey 
difficult, but the certain prospect of gain- 
ing the desired object would still cheer 
him in his toil. So Paul expresses his ex- 
perience, Phil. iii. 13, 14 — " Forgetting 
those things which are behind, and reach- 
ing forth unto those things which are be- 
fore, I press toward the mark, for the prize 
of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.' ' 
This is very far from the language of a 
Perfectionist. He counted all his former 
good works and attainments in sanctifica- 
tion only worthy of being forgotten, in 
comparison with those that were yet before 
him. But how eagerly he presses forward, 
knowing that the prize was yet before him, 
encouraged with the hope which animates 
every Christian, that perfect meetness for 
heaven, and release from the world, will be 
found in immediate connection. 

It is, moreover, the desire of every Chris- 
tian to grow in grace, and while he finds 
himself advancing in holiness, and growing 
in conformity to the image of God, he finds 
in this his greatest encouragement to press 
on still toward the high and glorious prize 
that is before him, perfect holiness and 
perfect happiness in heaven. Perfect hap- 
piness must always be an immediate con- 
sequence of perfect holiness; and how 



SINLESS PERFECTION. 163 

could Paul say he was pressing on to ob- 
tain the prize, if he had already obtained 
it ? In this way, the doctrine of perfection 
is destructive of growth in grace. A low 
standard is set up as the mark of Christian 
attainment ; and when any one entertains 
so good an opinion of himself as to think 
he has arrived at it, all further advance- 
ment is at an end. Such an one must con- 
clude that he has attained to that which 
the apostle, in his burning zeal, felt him- 
self wanting. And I can only say, that I 
think a person who sets up this claim, has 
yet room to make considerable advance- 
ment in the grace of humility. 

Con. — It has always struck me unfavour- 
ably, to hear any one claiming to be per- 
fect ; but knowing that the grace of God 
is all powerful, and that freedom from all 
sin must be the desire of every Christian, 
I found difficulty in deciding that no one 
obtained the blessing. But in looking at 
the high standard of holiness which the 
Bible has set up, I think every one, who 
has a proper view of himself, will decide 
with the apostle, that it is a " prize of the 
high calling of God in Christ Jesus," which 
is yet far before him. 

Min. — Let us now look more particu- 
larly at some arguments from the Bible. 
James speaks the language of Christian ex- 



164 SINLESS PERFECTION. 

perience, when lie says, James iii. 2 — " In 
many things we offend all." After thus 
stating the general truth, that "all" are 
sinners "in many things," he goes on to 
speak of particular offences, which cast a 
stain upon the Christian character, and I 
think plainly teaches the doctrine of Chris- 
tian perfection, in the sense in which I 
spoke of it at our last interview, that is, a 
perfectly consistent gospel character, ex- 
hibiting to the world the piety and integ- 
rity of the inner man, and the sincerity of 
his profession. " If any man offend not in 
word, the same is a perfect man, and able 
to bridle the whole body," &c. He teaches 
the same doctrine in chapter i. verse 27 — 
" Pure religion and undefiled before God 
and the Father is this, to visit the father- 
less and widows in their affliction, and to 
keep himself unspotted from the world." 
Paul says, Phil. iii. 12 — " Not as though I 
had already attained, either were already 
perfect." In whatever sense he uses the 
word here, it is plain that he did not con- 
sider himself perfect. 

Con, — But are we to suppose that Paul 
did not maintain a perfect gospel charac- 
ter? 

Min. — So far as we know, he did ; but 
if he here uses the word in that sense, it 
only shows, what is always the fact, that 



SINLESS PERFECTION. 165 

the true Christian, who is striving after ho- 
liness, and endeavouring to " let his light 
shine," feeling his own failures, always 
puts a worse estimate on his own charac- 
ter, than others who cannot see him as he 
sees himself. A man who advances in any 
degree near perfection in this sense, in the 
eyes of others, will always be found the 
last man to claim it for himself. In what 
a striking contrast, then, the language of 
the apostle appears, to that of our modern 
boasting Perfectionists ! But further, Sol- 
omon in his prayer at the dedication of the 
temple, recorded in 1 Kings viii. 46, be- 
seeches God to be merciful to the sins of 
his people, and expressly says, "For there 
is no man that sinneth not." Again, Job 
ix. 30, 31— " If I wash myself with snow 
water, and make my hands never so clean ; 
yet shalt thou plunge me into the ditch, and 
mine own clothes shall abhor me. For he 
is not a man, as I am/ that I should answer 
him, and we should come together in judg- 
ment." Here it is plainly taught, that 
however pure we may be in the eyes of the 
world, yet with God we are vile and pol- 
luted. The same is taught in stronger Ian- 
guage still, in chapter xv. 14 — " What is 
man that he should be clean? And he 
that is born of a woman, that he should be 
righteous?" But he speaks more expli- 



166 SINLESS PERFECTION. 

citly still, in ix. 20 — " If I say I am perfect, 
it shall also prove me perverse.' ' "What a 
commentary on the language of a Perfec- 
tionist ! Again, Eccl. vii. 20 — " For there 
is not a just man upon earth, that doeth 
good, and sinneth not." Isa. lxiv. 6 — 
" We are all as an unclean thing, and all 
our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." 
These passages in themselves are sufficient 
to prove, that the Bible does not consider 
any one perfect in the sense in which Per- 
fectionists claim it. But further still. Christ 
teaches us to pray, " Forgive us our tres- 
passes," &c. This direction is given for 
secret prayer, and therefore these " tres- 
passes," for the pardon of which we are to 
pray, are our own individual sins. And 
it is also plain, that it was intended for our 
daily use. The fourth petition in this sum- 
mary of prayer given for our direction, is, 
"Give us this day our daily bread," or 
"give us day by day our daily bread," and 
the next petition in immediate connection 
is, " forgive us our trespasses," &c. 

It will not, I presume, be denied, that 
this direction was also intended for Chris- 
tians. But, if any one be perfect, he can- 
not pray according to the direction of 
Christ, tor he has no sins to be forgiven. 
Indeed, the prayers of a man who esteems 
himself perfect, must be short and few, if 



SINLESS PERFECTION. 167 

he may be said to pray at all. He needs 
no grace to overcome any sinful propensi- 
ty. " The body of sin and death,' ' which 
troubled the apostle so much, is with him 
perfectly sanctified and holy. He, then, 
needs neither mercy nor grace. But these 
are by the apostle made the main errand 
of a believer at a throne of grace. Heb. 
iv. 16 — "Let us therefore come boldly un- 
to the throne of grace, that we may obtain 
mercy and find grace to help in time of 
need." But a Perfectionist has no "time 
of need;" he needs no more "grace" or 
"mercy;" he has all the grace he needs, 
and no sins to be forgiven, and consequent- 
ly has no errand to a "throne of grace." 

As to the Christian experience recorded 
in the Bible, it is anything but perfection- 
ism. The most extensive records are those 
of David and Paul. And if perfection 
were to be found anywhere, we might sure- 
ly expect to find it in the experience of 
these eminent servants of God. But what 
is the fact? We find them lamenting 
their sins and short-comings, recording 
their earnest longings after more entire 
conformity to the law of God, and praying 
for more grace to enable them to advance in 
the divine life. We find no intimation any- 
where that they thought themselves per- 
fect, but everywhere the reverse. Time 



168 SINLESS PERFECTION. 

will not permit us to examine the numer- 
ous passages in which they record their 
sinfulness as their constant experience. 
But we will look at some of them. Psa. 
xxv. 11 — "For thy name's sake, O Lord, 
pardon mine iniquity; for it is great." 
xxxi. 10 — "My strength faileth because 
of mine iniquity, and my bones are con- 
sumed." xxxviii. 3, 4, 5 — "Neither is 
there any rest in my bones, because of my 
sin. For mine iniquities are gone over 
my head; as an heavy burden, they are 
too heavy for me. My wounds stink, and 
are corrupt, because of my foolishness." 
xl. 12 — " For innumerable evils have com- 
passed me about; mine iniquities have 
taken hold upon me, so that I am not able 
to look up ; they are more than the hairs 
of mine head, therefore my heart faileth 
me." This does not look much like per- 
fection ; and much more of the same kind 
might be given. The 119th Psalm is al- 
most one continued confession of failure 
in duty, and prayer for quickening grace. 
Verse 5th — " that my ways were direc- 
ted to keep thy statutes." 25 — "My soul 
cleaveth unto the dust : quicken thou me 
according to thy word." 29 — "Eemove 
from me the way of lying, and grant me 
thy law graciously." 32 — " I will run the 
way of thy commandments, when thou 



SINLESS PERFECTION. 169 

shalt enlarge my heart.' ' 81 — " My soul 
fainteth for thy salvation ; but I hope in 
thy word." 96 — "I have seen an end of 
all perfection ; but thy commandment is 
exceeding broad." 123 — "Mine eyes fail 
for thy salvation, and for the word of thy 
righteousness." 131 — "I opened my 
mouth and panted : for I longed for thy 
commandments." 176 — "I have gone 
astray like a lost sheep : seek thy servant ; 
for I do not forget thy commandments." 
All these express the exercises of the pious 
soul, that feels its short-comings, and longs 
after greater conformity to the law of God, 
but they would sound very strange in the 
mouth of a Perfectionist. 

Paul gives his experience in language 
equally plain, and, if possible, more strong 
and explicit. Eom. vii. 14 — 25 — " For we 
know that the law is spiritual ; but I am 
carnal, sold under sin. For that which I 
do, I allow not : for what I would, that do 
I not ; but what I hate, that do I. If then 
I do that which I would not, I consent un- 
to the law, that it is good. Now then it is 
no more I that do it, but sin that dwell- 
eth in me. For I know that in me, (that 
is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: 
for to will is present with me ; but how 
to perform that which is good I find not. 
For the good that I would, I do not : but 
15 



170 SINLESS PERFECTION. 

the evil which I would not, that I do. 
Now if I do that I would not, it is no more 
I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 
I find then a law, that when I would do 
good, evil is present with me. For I de- 
light in the law of God after the inward 
man. But I see another law in my mem- 
bers, warring against the law of my mind, 
and bringing me into captivity to the law 
of sin which is in my members. wretch- 
ed man that I am ! who shall deliver me 
from the body of this death? I thank 
God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So 
then, with the mind I myself serve the law 
of God, but with the flesh the law of sin." 
This, in itself, if there were not another 
passage in the Bible, is sufficient to prove 
that the apostle was a stranger to anything 
like sinless perfection. 

Con. — But does not this, taking it all to- 
gether, prove too much, and, therefore, 
prove nothing ? Does not the apostle use 
language which cannot be true of the 
Christian ? — " I am carnal, sold under sin." 
Can this be true of any one who is a true 
believer ? He says in another place, of 
Christians, "Ye are not under the law, but 
under grace." How, then, can they be 
"sold under sin ?" 

Min. — It is a very strong expression, I 
admit; and those who advocate the doc- 



SINLESS PERFECTION. 171 

trine of perfection, have laid hold of it to 
prove that the apostle is not giving his 
own experience, but the feelings of a sin- 
ner. But the falsity of such a view, is 
clearly shown in the 22d verse — " I de- 
light in the law of God after the inward 
man." And he gives the language of a 
true believer in the 25th verse — " I thank 
God through Jesus Christ our Lord." It 
is as impossible to apply this to an uncon- 
verted sinner, as the whole passage to a 
Perfectionist. But the expression, " car- 
nal, sold under sin," is of very easy solu- 
tion, if we allow the apostle to explain him- 
self, which he does in the verse imme- 
diately following — " For that which I do, 
I allow not," &c. The word "for," con- 
nects the two verses, and shows that the 
one is explanatory of the other. The sim- 
ple meaning, therefore, is, that he was an 
unwilling " servant" of his inward propen- 
sities, against which he was struggling, 
and from which he desired to be free, but 
which he still felt maintaining their power 
over him, and still " bringing him into 
captivity." It expresses, in very strong 
terms, the inward conflict which every 
Christian experiences and understands. 
The passage taken together, contains an 
unanswerable proof that perfection in ho- 
liness is not attainable in this life, or at 



172 SINLESS PERFECTION. 

least that the apostle had not attained it 
when he wrote this account of his expe- 
rience. And to my mind it is clear, that 
a Perfectionist, instead of having com- 
pleted the Christian warfare, has it yet to 
begin. 

Con. — But have we no account of any 
one in the Bible, who claimed to have at- 
tained perfection in holiness ? 

Min. — Not unless the Pharisee may be 
so called, who, Christ tells us, "went up 
to the temple to pray." He claimed to be 
perfect, even before God. He had no sins 
to be pardoned, and no grace to ask, in his 
own estimation ; but thanked God that he 
was so good. "Lord, I thank thee that I 
am not as other men," &c. Whether he 
knew in his heart that he was a sinner or 
not, we are not told, but we know he 
claimed to be perfect, and wished to be so 
esteemed. He had no errand to a throne 
of grace but to enumerate his virtues, and 
thank God that he had no sin. But it is 
only another proof of the truth of the say- 
ing of John, 1 John i. 8 — "If we say that 
we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and 
the truth is not in us." 

Con. — But if so much of our nature still 
remains unsanctified, does it not afford a 
ground of fear, that it will entirely over- 
come all our holy purposes and resolutions, 



SINLESS PERFECTION. 173 

and prove the cause of our final apostacy 
from God and holiness ? 

Min. — Every Christian no doubt feels, 
that if the warfare were to be carried on 
in his own strength, there would be little 
doubt as to the result. But the fact that 
they feel their ow T n weakness, teaches them 
where their strength lies, and it is thus 
made instrumental in their perseverance 
in holiness, through divine grace. 

But as this involves the general doc- 
trine of perseverance, we will consider it 
at our next interview. 
15* 



DIALOGUE XV. 

PERSEVERANCE. 

Convert. — The sentiment you advanced 
at our last interview, that the remaining 
corruptions of our nature are instrumental 
in our perseverance in holiness, seems to 
me a paradox, which I cannot fully under- 
stand, or reconcile with the doctrines of 
grace. Does it not make sin one of the 
means of grace ? 

Minister. — A person who feels that he is 
sick, and uses means for his recovery, does 
not make his sickness instrumental in his 
restoration. It is his knowledge of his 
disease, that leads him to the use of pro- 
per means. So, if a Christian's sense of 
his remaining imperfection, lead him to 
the fountain of grace, in the use of proper 
means, it does not make his sin a means of 
grace. I mentioned it, however, as a fact 
in Christian experience, to show that our 
imperfection, in this life, was no argument 
against our final perseverance, but rather 
in favour of it. Such was Paul's expe- 
rience, when he says, 2 Cor. xii. 9, 10 — 
(174) 



PERSEVERANCE. 175 

" Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glo- 
ry in my infirmities, that the power of 
Christ may rest upon me. * * * For, 
when I am weak, then am I strong." It 
was not his weakness, in itself, that was 
his strength; but feeling his weakness, 
he was led to look for grace, that he might 
enjoy its almighty power. Such, I need 
hardly tell you, is the experience of every 
Christian, unless we may except the Per- 
fectionist, whose experience in this, as in 
everything else, differs from that of Paul. 
When you look at yourself, and realize 
your short-comings and failures, and how 
far your heart is, in many respects, from 
what it should be, does it not lead you, 
not only to pray for, but to admire and 
love that grace, which can, and does ele- 
vate, refine, and quicken a heart so cold 
and insensible ? 

Con. — I can truly say, that such is my 
experience ; and I have often admired the 
language of one of our hymns : 

" Almighty grace ! thy healing power, 

How glorious — how divine ! 
That can to life and bliss restore 

So cold a heart as mine." 

Min. — This is simply what the apostle 
means by " glorying in infirmity.' ' And it is 
easy to see how such experience has a ten- 
dency to keep the Christian constantly at a 



176 PERSEVERANCE. 

throne of grace, where he finds his only- 
hope of perseverance in holiness. This is 
the ground upon which the doctrine of 
perseverance is based. It is not of man, 
but of God. I need not stay to prove, that 
we are entirely dependent on God for per- 
severing grace. The work of sanctifica- 
tion is his, and his entirely. 

Con. — But is not the Christian actively 
engaged in his own sanctification? 

Min. — He "works out his own salva- 
tion" — but still "it is God that workethin 
him, both to will and to do." — Phil. ii. 12, 
13. The Christian grows in grace, but it 
is God that enables him. His mind concurs 
in the work ; so that he is not only active- 
ly, but zealously engaged in it ; but it is 
in striving to obtain that grace, upon 
which he feels he is entirely dependent. 
All his exertions and prayers are to this 
end. But this, instead of proving that his 
final perseverance depends upon himself, 
proves the contrary. If, then, the perse- 
verance of Christians in a life of faith and 
holiness, depends upon God, and any 
finally and totally apostatize, it must be 
because God is either unable or unwilling 
to carry them forward in their Christian 
course to complete salvation. That he is 
unable, I presume none will contend — . 
that he is unwilling, will not, I think, be 



PERSEVERANCE. 177 

contended by any one who has anything 
like a proper estimate of his character, as 
revealed in his word, and exhibited in his 
providence and grace. He has regene- 
rated, justified, and, in part, sanctified 
them ; he has given them to his Son as 
trophies of his cross, pardoned all their 
sins, adopted them as sons and daughters 
into his family, and the Saviour has pre- 
pared mansions for them in heaven. Then, 
to say that God is unwilling to preserve 
them, would, it seems to me, be as absurd 
and blasphemous as to say that he is una- 
ble. 1 Thess. iv. 3—" This is the will of God, 
even your sanctification." If, then, the 
work be his, and he be both able and will- 
ing to perform it, we may conclude it will 
be done. 

Con. — But though God is willing and 
able to save them, may he not be provoked 
to withdraw his Spirit, and leave them to 
final apostacy, as a punishment for their 
sins ? 

Min. — God might, it is true, if he saw 
fit, withdraw his gifts, and the abandoned 
sinner would have no just cause of com- 
plaint. But the question is, will he do it, 
after all that he has done for him ? His 

fifts were free, and entirely unmerited, 
'here was no compulsion. Neither was 
there any want of consideration. Men 



178 PERSEVERANCE. 

may bestow gifts inconsiderately and rashly, 
and afterwards find occasion to withdraw 
them ; but God's gifts are bestowed with 
a full knowledge of all or any difficulties 
that might arise in the way of their con- 
tinuance. He knew when he gave them, 
whether anything would ever require him 
to withdraw them. If he gave them with 
a knowledge that he would withdraw them, 
(which all must admit, if they should ever 
be withdrawn,) then he acts a part more 
capricious than men ; for no man would 
bestow a gift when he knew that it would 
be so abused that he would be compelled 
to withdraw it. Yet the advocates of the 
doctrine of "falling from grace," as it is 
termed, would have us believe, that God 
regenerates, justifies, pardons, and in part 
sanctifies, or as some say sanctifies per- 
fectly, those who he knows must bear 
his wrath in hell for ever. Surely, the ad- 
vocates of such a doctrine, do not consider 
what they teach. 

Con. — But may we not suppose that his 
grace is bestowed conditionally: that is, if 
the Christian improve the gift, it will be 
continued and increased ; but if not, it will 
be withdrawn? 

Min. — That supposition will not relieve 
the difficulty. Let us suppose that the 
grace of justification, or pardon, is be- 



PERSEVERANCE. 179 

stowed conditionally. But a conditional 
pardon is no pardon at all. If it be sus- 
pended on anything to be done, it is not 
granted — it is only promised. But if a 
man is not actually pardoned and justified, 
be is not a Christian. It is not an unre- 
generated, unjustified sinner, that we say 
will be enabled by God to persevere, but 
the true Christian, who is really a child of 
God, who has actually been justified 
through faith, one whose heart has been 
changed by divine grace, who has exer- 
cised faith in the merits of Jesus Christ, 
who truly loves God, feels thankful for 
the mercy and grace he has received, 
rejoices to believe that he is pardoned and 
accepted of God ; and yet he is not par- 
doned, if it only be promised conditionally, 
and he is not yet at liberty even to hope 
for heaven. How could we exhort such 
an one ? We could not exhort him to con- 
tinue in a state of justification ; for he is 
not yet justified. We could not exhort 
him to continue a Christian ; for he is not 
yet a Christian — the wrath of God is still 
abiding on him, and he is still in a state 
of condemnation — the curse is not yet re- 
moved. 

But there are other difficulties arising 
from such a supposition. If pardon and 
justification be suspended upon the condi- 



180 PERSEVERANCE. 

tion of perseverance in holiness, they can- 
not be bestowed on account of the merits 
of Christ ; and thus it is subversive of the 
main principle of the gospel. How much 
more consistent with the plain dictates of 
common sense, to believe, as the Bible 
tells us, that when a sinner believes and 
repents, all his sins are actually pardoned, 
and that, on the ground of the righteous- 
ness of Christ, he is justified and accepted 
as righteous in the sight of God, and is 
fully reconciled, and adopted as a child of 
God, and an heir of heaven, and the man- 
sions of glory, to which he will certainly 
be received. 

Con. — Are we, then, to suppose that the 
perseverance of the Christian is altogether 
unconditional? That is, are we to sup- 
pose that he will certainly obtain complete 
salvation, whether he live a holy life or 
not? 

Min. — That is supposing a contradiction. 
It is perseverance in holiness that is se- 
cured; and it is secured in the same way 
with his regeneration and justification. 
You recollect that when we were consider- 
ing the doctrine of election, it was made 
plain from the fact, that God is the author 
of regeneration and conversion from sin to 
holiness ; because, when God converts a sin- 
ner, he does it from design, and as he can 



PERSEVERANCE. 181 

have no new designs, it must have been 
eternal. Now, his design is not to save 
any one in sin, but " through sanctification 
of the Spirit and belief of the truth." — 2 
Thess. ii. 13. His purpose to save em- 
braces both regeneration and sanctification. 
"When you look at God's mercy and grace, 
in your conversion, and trace it back to its 
source, you find the doctrine of election; 
and you have only to trace it forward to its 
completion, to find the doctrine of perse- 
verance. You have said that God, in your 
conversion, was fulfilling his gracious de- 
sign which he must have had toward you. 
That design was, of course, to save you 
through the operations of his Spirit, trans- 
forming you anew, and making you meet 
for heaven. Thus, holiness is not a condi- 
tion of perseverance, but a part of it ; and 
to suppose that it is irrespective of holi- 
ness, is a contradiction. Here, too, we see 
an argument for the truth of the doctrine, 
which, to my mind, is conclusive. If 
God's design, in your conversion, were not 
to save you finally, it could not be a gra- 
cious design. When he sent his Spirit to 
change your heart, and enable you to be- 
lieve on his Son ; raised your affections to 
himself, and fixed your hopes in heaven, 
if he only designed to lead you forward for 
a time, and then leave you to go to hell at 
16 



182 PERSEVERANCE. 

last, his design was anything but gracious. 
But let us suppose such a case. A man, 
through the grace of God, is converted at 
thirty years of age. All his sins are par- 
doned. He is justified, and in part, sanc- 
tified, admitted to communion and fellow- 
ship with God, rejoices to believe that he 
is forgiven and accepted of God through 
the merits of Christ, and is cheered with 
the prospect of complete salvation. He 
lives a Christian life for one or two years, 
" falls from grace," loses entirely all his in- 
terest in religion, dies a child of Satan, 
and goes to hell. How will such an one 
give his account ? The sins of his iirst 
thirty years have all been pardoned through 
Christ. But if he be punished only for the 
sins of the last few months, he does not re- 
ceive according to his deeds. His punish- 
ment is not in proportion to his guilt, 
which is contrary to the principles of jus- 
tice, and the plain declarations of the Bible. 
But the supposition that any one, who has 
been truly regenerated and sanctified, 
washed in the blood of Christ, and adopted 
as a child of God, will at last be left of 
God and sent to hell, is so inconsistent 
with the character and dealings of God, 
that it only needs to be mentioned to see 
its absurdity. Yet all this absurdity is in - 
volved in the doctrine of " falling from 
grace/ ' 



PERSEVERANCE. 183 

Con. — But will it not have a tendency 
to make the Christian feel secure, and re- 
lax his efforts to advance in holiness, to 
know that his salvation is certain and un- 
alterably fixed in the purpose and good 
pleasure of God ? 

Min. — It is often urged by the enemies 
of the doctrine of perseverance, that it is 
dangerous. It is not uncommon to hear 
them say, that if the doctrine be true, any 
one may live as he pleases. I once heard 
a preacher say : " If I believed such a doc- 
trine, I would care nothing about growth 
in grace, or living a holy life." But such 
objectors forget, that if they speak accord- 
ing to their feelings, they give strong evi- 
dence that they are strangers to the love 
of God, and cast a severe reflection upon 
true religion. Suppose a father, when 
about to settle a patrimony upon his son, 
is told that it will be dangerous to do so, 
lest, when the son should know that all 
was securely his, he would treat him un- 
kindly. What severer reflection could he 
cast upon the son ? And what mournful 
evidence it would be of the son's entire 
selfishness, and want of love to his father, 
to hear him say, that if his father would fix 
the patrimony securely in his hands, he 
would not care how he treated him ! Just 
such is the evidence that the professed 



184 PERSEVERANCE. 

Christian gives of his love to God, who 
says that if he once felt sure of heaven, he 
would not care how he lived. I admit that 
it would be dangerous to make heaven 
sure to such. Whether it would be dan- 
gerous or not, for a father thus to settle 
the patrimony upon his son, would depend 
altogether on the nature of the son's feel- 
ings towards him. If they were altogether 
selfish, it would be dangerous. But if the 
son truly loved his father, it would in- 
crease his filial attachment to know that 
his father had done so much for him. The 
more he would give the son, the more the 
son would love him. So, if a Christian 
have true love to God, we need not fear to 
tell him how much God has done for him. 
The more he sees of the love of God, the 
more his own heart will be warmed with 
the heavenly flame, and he will desire the 
more to be conformed to his image. I 
think it will be admitted, that it is the ex- 
perience of every Christian, that the 
brighter and firmer his hopes are of hea- 
ven, the more he desires to be made meet 
for it; and just in proportion as faith is to 
him the certain " evidence (or confidence) 
of things not seen," he presses with eager- 
ness "to the mark, for the prize of the 
high calling of God in Christ Jesus." 
The doctrine of perseverance, then, to a 



PERSEVERANCE. 185 

true Christian, is one of his greatest in- 
centives to growth in grace ; and every one 
upon whom it has a contrary effect, has 
much reason to doubt the reality of his re- 
ligion. His love to God cannot be sincere. 
But as our conversation has been suffi- 
ciently protracted at present, we will defer 
the Bible argument on the subject to ano- 
ther time. 
16* 



DIALOGUE XVI. 

PERSEVERANCE. 

Convert. — There is one argument against 
the doctrine of perseverance, drawn from 
facts, that I have found difficult to meet, or 
answer. There are many cases of persons 
who give all the evidences of a change of 
heart, and seem, for a time, to enjoy all 
the comforts and blessings of true religion, 
who return to the world and sin, and be- 
come worse than they were before. 

Minister. — They thereby prove, in the 
clearest manner, that their religion was 
vain. They have not had that sealing of 
the Holy Spirit, with which he indelibly 
marks the heirs of grace. I know it is 
counted uncharitable to say, that all such 
had only a false hope, and that their house 
was only built on the sand; and, though 
by saying so, we come under the anathe- 
ma of the zealous advocates of the doc- 
trine of " falling from grace," we know we 
are not the first who have been thus de- 
nounced, and will likely not be the last. The 
doctrine of perseverance was one of the 
distinguishing doctrines of the Reforma- 
(186) 



PERSEVERANCE. 187 

tion, and met with the bitterest opposi- 
tion from the Pope and his adherents. The 
Council of Trent decreed, that " if any per- 
son shall say that a man who has been 
justified cannot lose grace, and that, there- 
fore, he who falls and sins was never truly 
justified, he shall be accursed." But the 
denunciations of Papists, and other error- 
ists, cannot affect the truth of a doctrine 
plainly taught by the Saviour himself. He 
tells us that many, who had such false 
hopes, will appear at the day of judgment, 
to whom he will say, "I never knew you; 
depart from me, ye that work iniquity. " — 
Matt. vii. 23. Now, if the doctrine of 
" falling from grace" be true, some at that 
day could contradict the Judge, and tell 
him, " You did know me ; I was regene- 
rated by your Spirit; I was justified 
through your righteousness ; pardoned 
through your blood; sanctified by your 
grace ; enjoyed seasons of communion with 
you; you heard my prayers; called me 
brother; and I rejoiced that you were 'not 
ashamed to call me brother,' (Heb. ii. 11,) 
for I was a true child of God." Now, it 
is very plain, that all this would be true, 
if any fall away, totally and finally, who 
once had true religion ; and the saying of 
the Judge, that he " never knew them," 
would not be true. But the language of 



188 PERSEVERANCE. 

the Saviour plainly teaches, that all pro- 
fessors of religion, who are finally lost, 
were only false professors, and were entire 
strangers to true religion. We are thus 
placed under the necessity of contradicting 
this plain statement of Christ himself, or 
of disbelieving that any who are true 
Christians will finally be lost. 

Con. — But are there not other passages of 
Scripture, which seem to favour the doc- 
trine, that a Christian may totally and 
finally apostatize, and be eternally lost ? 

Min. — There are several passages that 
make such a supposition, from which the 
advocates of the doctrine think it clearly 
proved. It is, however, only supposed ; it 
is no where directly asserted : whereas, it 
is again and again directly asserted, that 
they shall not fall away. And, it is a plain 
dictate of common sense, that we should 
never make a supposition contradict a po- 
sitive assertion, or give the supposition a 
preference, to establish a doctrine which 
contradicts the assertion. There are such 
suppositions made respecting God himself. 
The Psalmist, in the eleventh Psalm, 
speaks of God being the great foundation 
of his trust and hope, and adds, in the 
third verse, "If the foundations be de- 
stroyed, what can the righteous do ?" This 
is a supposition that God would prove un- 



PERSEVERANCE. 189 

worthy of our confidence, or should fail in 
his promises, &c. And the supposition is 
made to excite our gratitude, in contrast- 
ing our privilege of trusting in God, with 
the wretchedness of our condition, if that 
foundation were taken away, and we could 
no longer put our trust in him. Now, who 
would ever think of taking this supposi- 
tion to prove the possibility of God failing 
us, as a rock upon which we may at all 
times trust with unwavering confidence ? 
And yet, it is just as legitimate a course 
of reasoning, as to argue from the suppo- 
sition of the Christian being lost, that he 
may be. Such suppositions are frequent in 
the Bible, and they are not intended to 
teach, that the cases supposed will actual- 
ly occur ; but, as in the case above, to show 
us the excellence of the opposite truth. 

Con, — But are there no positive asser- 
tions in the Bible, that Christians do, or 
may, finally and totally apostatize and 
perish ? 

Min. — I have not been able to find a 
single passage in which it is asserted ; and 
all the passages that I have seen quoted by 
the abettors of the doctrine, amount to 
nothing more than suppositions, such as I 
have mentioned. One passage upon which 
they rely very much, is Ezek. xxxiii. 13 — 
" When I shall say to the righteous, that 
he shall surely live ; if he trust to his own 



190 PERSEVERANCE. 

righteousness and commit iniquity, all his 
righteousness shall not be remembered ; 
but for his iniquity that he hath committed, 
he shall die for it." It is supposed, by the 
most eminent commentators, that the 
" righteous" here spoken of, are to be un- 
derstood as those false professors of whom 
Christ will testify, he never knew them. 
This understanding of the passage, is ren- 
dered more forcible from the fact, that 
they are warned against " trusting to their 
own righteousness," which is always a char- 
acteristic of the false professor. If that be 
the import of the term, as here used, it af- 
fords no proof, or even a supposition, of 
the true Christian falling away. But even 
if we understand by the term " righteous," 
true Christians, it only amounts to a sup- 
position, or what is termed a hypothetical 
statement. It contains a two-fold hypo- 
thesis : " If he trust to his own righteous- 
ness," and if he " commit iniquity." Now 
it will be admitted, I think, that there is 
no danger of a true Christian " trusting to 
his own righteousness." Yet the case is 
supposed ; and because it is supposed, is no 
proof that he will. Neither is the suppo- 
sition of his " committing iniquity," so as 
finally and totally to apostatize, any proof 
that he will. 
But another passage which is always 



PERSEVERANCE. 191 

quoted, and relied on, to prove the doc- 
trine, is Heb. vi. 4, 5, 6 — "For it is im- 
possible for those who were once enlight- 
ened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, 
and were made partakers of the Holy- 
Ghost, and have tasted the good word of 
God, and the powers of the world to come, 
if they shall fall away, to renew them again 
unto repentance." This passage, you per- 
ceive, contains a supposition, and a posi- 
tive assertion based upon it. The suppo- 
sition is of the Christian " falling away," 
and the positive assertion is, the impossi- 
bility of their being " renewed again unto 
repentance.' ' But those who plead it as 
proof that the supposed case may occur, 
overlook entirely the positive assertion, 
which directly disproves their whole sys- 
tem. They contend, that a true Christian 
may fall away entirely, and be renewed 
again — that a person may be a child of 
God to-day, and a child of Satan to-mor- 
row, and, again, a child of God the next 
day. They seem to forget entirely, that 
almost all these hypothetical statements 
respecting falling from a state of grace, 
have coupled with the hypothesis, this posi- 
tive assertion ; so, if these statements 
prove anything at all respecting their sys- 
tem, it is, that it is false. Bat they are 
hypothetical statements, which were not 



192 PERSEVERANCE. 

intended to prove, that the cases supposed 
would actually occur, but to show us the 
necessity of continuing in holiness to the 
attainment of final salvation. They are in- 
centives to watchfulness, diligence, and^ 
prayer ; and thus are the means of oury 
perseverance in grace. God deals with us 
in this, as in all things else, as rational 
creatures, and works upon us by means 
and motives, addressed to our hopes and 
fears. This, I think, is plain from the con- 
text. The apostle, after having given this 
solemn warning, adds, in the ninth verse, 
"But beloved, we are persuaded better 
things of you, and things that accompany 
salvation, though we thus speak." And 
then he goes on to speak of the "oath" 
and "promise" of God, that "we might 
have a strong consolation, who have fied 
for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set 
before us." Thus, upon the supposition 
that the apostle, in this passage, is speak- 
ing of the true Christian, it proves nothing 
for the Arminian. But I am inclined to 
believe, that he is speaking of those who, 
in common language, "have sinned away 
their day of grace." We know that when 
a sinner has been visited with a great many 
warnings, and made the subject of the 
operations of the Holy Spirit, warning and 
convincing of sin, if he wickedly resist all, 



PERSEVERANCE. 193 

there is a point at which the forbearance 
and mercy of God will cease, and he will 
be left to himself, to take the course he 
has deliberately chosen. And when God 
says of any one, " let him alone," he is 
f ' given up to his own heart's lusts:" for 
him there is no hope. And though by 
the word enlightening him, and the Spir- 
it's striving, he has been brought almost 
into the kingdom, yet he " falls back into 
perdition." Now it seems to me, that the 
apostle exactly describes the case of such 
an one ; and all he says may characterize 
one who has never been truly converted. 
They were " once enlightened." So are 
those who hear the gospel, and understand 
its doctrines : they are not savingly en- 
lightened, but enjoy the light of the gos- 
pel in a very important sense. They have 
"tasted of the heavenly gift." This is 
true of all God's creatures, and more espe- 
cially of those who enjoy the blessings of 
the gospel, and have, to any extent, felt 
the operations of the Spirit. They were 
If made partakers of the Holy Ghost." So 
is every sinner, who has been seriously im- 
pressed, in view of his sins and danger. 
They have "tasted the good word of God." 
So had the thorny ground and stony ground 
hearers, in the parable of the sower. They 
have tasted, also, of the " powers of the 
17 



194 PERSEVERANCE. 

world to come." It is difficult to determine 
what is the precise meaning of this ex- 
pression. If we are to understand by it, 
hopes of heaven, thousands have them who 
are not true Christians. But we can found 
no argument upon a conjectural interpre- 
tation. Then, as any and all these bless- 
ings may be enjoyed by those who are not 
true Christians, it seems to me the most 
likely the apostle is speaking of such. But 
be that as it may ; the passage, as we have 
seen, plainly contradicts the Arminian doc- 
trine of falling from grace, and being again 
renewed. There are other similar pas- 
sages, but this, I believe, is considered by 
them as the most conclusive in their fa- 
vour, and consequently, the doctrine has 
very little support in the Bible. 

Con. — But are there not commands and 
exhortations, in different parts of the Scrip- 
tures, addressed to true Christians, which 
seem to imply that they are in danger of 
being lost, if they indulge in sin ? 

Min. — The fact that God will preserve 
them, does not supersede the use of all le- 
gitimate means to secure the end. His 
purpose to save them, embraces all the 
means of its accomplishment. He saves 
by his word and ordinances, and a diligent 
improvement of opportunities and privi- 
leges. This being his instituted plan of 



PERSEVERANCE. 195 

effecting his purpose, exhortations and ad- 
monitions do not necessarily imply any un- 
certainty as to the issue. They only point 
out the manner and order, in which the 
design will be accomplished. Paul, in a 
storm at sea, exhorts the sailors to remain in 
the ship, and work for their lives, and tells 
the centurion if they went aw^ay they would 
all be lost ; but will any one say, that there 
was in reality any uncertainty as to the is- 
sue ? God had promised that they should 
be saved, and his character was at stake. 
But still, the exhortation of Paul was one 
principal means of their safety. So the ex- 
hortations and warnings addressed to 
Christians are made the means of their 
perseverance. 

But let us now look at some of the plain 
declarations of the Bible on this subject. 
And here I would observe, that we are not 
compelled to resort to suppositions and in- 
ferences, but have plain and positive state- 
ments, proving as clearly as language can 
prove, that true Christians will be preserved 
to complete salvation. Psa. lxxxix. 30 — 3T 
— "If his children forsake my law, and 
walk not in my judgments : if they break 
my statutes, and keep not my command- 
ments ; then will I visit their transgression 
with the rod, and their iniquity with 
stripes. Nevertheless my loving kindness 



196 PERSEVERANCE. 

will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer 
my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will 
I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone 
out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my 
holiness, that I will not lie unto David. 
His seed shall endure for ever, and his 
throne as the sun before me. It shall be 
established for ever as the moon, and as a 
faithful witness in heaven. ,, In this psalm, 
as in many others, David is made to per- 
sonify Christ. This is plain from verse 
27, and other parts — " I will make him my 
first-born, higher than the kings of the 
earth." In the 19th verse, God says — "I 
have laid help upon one that is mighty," 
&c. Indeed, the whole scope of the psalm 
shows that it is so to be understood. Then, 
the " children" that are spoken of, are the 
spiritual children of the Saviour, true fol- 
lowers of the Lamb. And we can scarcely 
conceive how their security could be ex- 
pressed in stronger language. Though 
they shall be chastised for their sins, yet 
his "loving kindness" will never be with- 
drawn, nor shall his " faithfulness fail." 

I might here properly refer to a melan- 
choly instance of the lengths to which er- 
rorists will go, to support a favourite the- 
ory. In the "Doctrinal Tracts" of the 
Methodist Church, page 212, the writer, 
in endeavouring to evade the force of so 



PERSEVERANCE. 197 

plain a statement of the doctrine of perse- 
verance, says, that the covenant spoken of 
in this lxxxix. psalm, " relates wholly to 
David and his seed/' He then misquotes 
the 35th verse. Instead of saying, " I will 
not lie unto David," he quotes it, " I will 
not fail David." And to crown all, he 
says, " God did also fail David." " He did 
alter the thing that had gone out of his 
lips, and yet without any impeachment of 
his truth. He abhorred and forsook his 
anointed. He did break the covenant of 
his servant," &c. The only reason he 
gives for saying that God broke his cove- 
nant is that it was conditional. That it 
was not conditional, in the sense which he 
affirms, I will not now stay to prove ; for 
even if it were, it is still both false and im- 
pious to say, that " God broke his cove- 
nant, and altered the thing that had gone 
out of his lips." When a writer thus 
speaks of God, and misquotes his word, 
we need not be surprised at all his misrep- 
resentations of Calvinism. 

But let us see what Christ himself says 
on the doctrine of perseverance. Matt, 
xxiv. 24 — " There shall arise false Christs, 
and false prophets, and shall show great 
signs and wonders ; insomuch that, if it 
were possible, they shall deceive the very 
elect." John x. 27 — 29— " My sheep hear 
17* 



198 PERSEVERANCE. 

my voice, and I know them," (will he ever 
say he " never knew" them ?) " and they 
follow me : and I give unto them eternal 
life ; and they shall never perish, neither 
shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 
My Father, which gave them me, is greater 
than all ; and no man is able to pluck them 
out of my Father's hand." Does not this 
look as if the Saviour meant to teach that 
believers are secure in the hands of God ? 
But let us hear Paul. Rom. viii. 35 — 39 
— " Who shall separate us from the love 
of Christ ? Shall tribulation, or distress, 
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or 
peril, or sword ? * * Nay, in all these 
things we are more than conquerors, 
through him that loved us. For I am per- 
suaded, that neither death, nor life, nor 
angels, nor principalities, nor powers, 
nor things present, nor things to come, 
nor height, nor depth, nor any other 
creature, shall be able to separate us from 
the love of God, which is Christ Jesus our 
Lord." I cannot conceive how the doc- 
trine could be stated in language more 
plain and forcible. I shall only add one pas- 
sage more, though I might add scores. 1 
Pet. i. 5 — "Kept by the power of God, 
through faith, unto salvation." Here the 
whole doctrine of perseverance, through 
grace, faith, and holiness, is stated in a 
manner both concise and beautiful. 



PERSEVERANCE. 199 

If we needed arguments from inference 
and supposition, we have them, too, in 
abundance. One, that seems to me incon- 
trovertible, is drawn from the intercession 
of Christ. His prayer is — " Holy Father, 
keep through thine own name, those whom 
thou hast given me." Will the Father 
keep them, or deliver them over to Satan ? 
We may leave the Arminian to answer. 

Other inferential proofs, equally conclu- 
sive, might be given, but I think I have 
said enough to show you, that our Confes- 
sion of Faith speaks the language of the 
Bible, and of common sense, when it says, 
chap. xvii. sec. 1 — "They whom God hath 
accepted in his Beloved, effectually called 
and sanctified by his Spirit, can neither to- 
tally, nor finally, fall away from the state 
of grace, but shall certainly persevere there- 
in to the end, and be eternallv saved." 



DIALOGUE XVII. 



ADMISSION TO THE CHURCH. 

Convert. — During the progress of our se- 
veral conversations, on the different points 
of religious truth which we have consi- 
dered, my mind has not only been re- 
lieved, but edified, and my desire to unite 
with some evangelical church has been in- 
creased. My preferences for the Presby- 
terian Church have also become stronger ; 
but, still, with my limited knowledge, I do 
not know that I am prepared to say : " I 
sincerely receive and adopt the Confession 
of Faith, as containing the system of doc- 
trines taught in the Holy Scriptures.' ■ 
My hesitancy does not arise from any op- 
position I have to any of its doctrines, but 
from my limited acquaintance with it. I 
have not, until recently, made it a study, 
and have not been able to compare it, in 
all its parts, with the Bible, so as to adopt 
it intelligently. And, I suppose, to adopt 
it "sincerely,' ' means both a cordial and 
intelligent reception of all it teaches, as be- 
ing in accordance with the Bible. And 
(200) 



ADMISSION TO THE CHURCH. 201 

this, I have understood, you require of all 
your members. 

Minister. — While you have had a mis- 
representation of our doctrines, you have 
also had a false representation of our prac- 
tice. I know it is common with those 
who wish to frighten young converts from 
joining our church, to tell them that they 
must have the Confession of Faith 
" crammed down their throats." But our 
form of government does not require it, 
nor have I ever known a single instance 
in which it has been required by any one 
of our church officers, that the members 
of the church should all adopt the Confes- 
sion of Faith. It is required of all our 
church officers, but not of its members. It 
is not supposable, that all whom we might, 
in other respects, consistently receive to 
the church, are so well acquainted with all 
our doctrines, as to adopt them intelligent- 
ly. Some who do not oppose them, are 
sometimes at a loss to understand them. 
It is common, in some sections of our 
church, to require those who unite with 
us, to receive and adopt the Confession of 
Faith, " as far as they are acquainted with 
it, and understand it;" but I have never 
known any one go further. 

Con. — I could willingly and cheerfully 
do that, and cannot see any reasonable ob- 



202 ADMISSION TO THE CHURCH. 

jection to such a course. But does the 
Confession of Faith contain no general re- 
quirement on the subject? 

Min. — The " Directory for Worship/' 
chap. 9, sec. 3, requires, that "those who 
are to be admitted to sealing ordinances 
shall be examined as to their knowledge 
and piety." And sec. 4 requires, that 
those who, when uniting with the church, 
receive the ordinance of baptism, shall, 
" in ordinary cases, make a public profes- 
sion of their faith in the presence of the 
congregation." Thus, "knowledge and 
piety" are required of all, and a "public 
profession of their faith," of those who, at 
the time, receive the ordinance of baptism. 
How far the examination, as to knowledge 
and piety, shall be extended, and what 
may be comprised in the public profession 
of faith, required of others, is left to each 
church session, to decide according to cir- 
cumstances. Thus, w T hile piety and 
knowledge to some extent, are made in- 
dispensable requisites to membership in 
the Presbyterian Church, other things, 
though desirable, are not absolutely re- 
quired. If a church session have satisfac- 
tory evidence that any one is a true child 
of God, and has knowledge of God and di- 
vine things, to such an extent, that he can 
profitably participate in the sealing or- 



ADMISSION TO THE CHURCH. 203 

dinances of the church, it is all they re- 
quire. 

Con. — What is the common practice of 
church sessions in such cases ? 

Min. — The candidate for admission is 
examined on some of the leading points of 
Christian experience, upon which, any one 
who has the exercise of a true Christian, 
can easily give satisfaction. In connec- 
tion with this, he is also examined on some 
of the leading doctrines of Christianity, 
especially, as connected with his expe- 
rience. Thus, the ground of his hope is 
ascertained, and his faith in Christ is ex- 
hibited, which will qualify him for a mem- 
ber of the visible church; as, by regenera- 
tion and faith, he has been made a mem- 
ber of the body of Christ. 

This course must commend itself to eve- 
ry reflecting mind, as the safest, both for 
the church and those who wish to become 
its members. A person cannot profitably 
participate in the sealing ordinances of 
the church, unless he have knowledge to 
discern the spiritual blessings which they 
represent. No one can rightly commemo- 
rate the Saviour, in the ordinance of the 
supper, if he have not faith and love. Nei- 
ther would he make a suitable member of 
the church. All such members are an in- 
jury to the church, and their profession is 
an injury to themselves. To keep the 



204 ADMISSION TO THE CHURCH. 

church from being filled with such mem- 
bers, the framers of our excellent formula- 
ries made piety and a certain degree of 
knowledge, prerequisites to membership. 
But this was going as far as they felt war- 
ranted by the word of God. 

The General Assembly of our church 
speak particularly of this, in their pastoral 
letter of 1839: "The terms of Christian 
communion, adopted by our church, have 
been in accordance with the divine com- 
mand, that we should receive one another 
as Christ has received us. We have ever 
admitted to our communion all those who, 
in the judgment of charity, were the sin- 
cere disciples of Jesus Christ. If, in some 
instances, stricter terms have been insisted 
upon — if candidates for sealing ordinances 
have been required to sign pledges, to 
make profession of anything more than 
faith, love, and obedience to Jesus Christ, 
these instances have been few and unau- 
thorized, and, therefore, do not affect the 
general character of our church. We ful- 
ly recognize the authority of the command, 
'Him that is weak in the faith, receive ye, 
but not to doubtful disputations.' The 
application of this command, however, is 
entirely confined to private members of 
the church. It has no reference to the ad- 
mission of men to offices in the church," 



ADMISSION TO THE CHURCH. 205 

&c. (Minutes of the General Assembly 
for 1839, p. 183.) 

When such has always been the liberal 
policy of our church, you can perceive how 
much truth and honesty belong to those, 
who represent us as requiring all our mem- 
bers, to " swallow the Confession of Faith." 

Con. — But what is the reason of the dis- 
tinction made between the officers and 
members of the church ? 

Min. — The officers are entrusted with 
the management of all the concerns of the 
church ; and it is a plain dictate of com- 
mon sense, as well as of the Bible, that 
they should be men, who are not only well 
instructed in the doctrines of the church, 
but also cordially receive them. While 
the Bible commands us to stretch the 
broad wing of Christian charity over all 
who give evidence of being true disciples 
of Christ, and to receive them to our 
Christian fellowship, it ,is very pointed in 
its directions respecting the qualifications 
of all who bear rule in the house of God. 
They must not be " novices." They must 
"hold fast the form of sound words." — 2 
Tim. i. 13. "Holding fast the faithful 
word, as he hath been taught, that he may 
be able by sound doctrine, both to exhort 
and to convince the gainsay ers." — Tit. i. 
9. " Holding the mystery of the faith in 
18 



206 ADMISSION TO THE CHURCH. 

a pure conscience." — 1 Tim. iii. 9. This 
is in exact accordance with the require- 
ment of our Confession, that all our offi- 
cers should "sincerely receive and adopt" 
our form of sound words. I might men- 
tion many other passages bearing upon the 
same point, but it is not necessary, as the 
importance of having all our officers, cor- 
dially and intelligently, to embrace the 
same system of faith, will be obvious, when 
you look at their stations and duties. Our 
church, in some sections, for a time, pur- 
sued a different policy, but it had nearly 
proved her ruin. 

Con. — But is true piety made an indis- 
pensable requisite, in all who wish to unite 
with the church ? 

Min. — So far as the true state of any 
one can be ascertained, it is. No one can 
search the heart, but there are some points 
in Christian experience, from which, in 
general, a correct judgment may be form- 
ed. And if, upon examination, any one 
gives satisfactory evidence, that he has not 
experienced a change of heart, he is uni- 
formly rejected. 

Con. — But would it not be better to re- 
ceive every one who applies? Is not the 
prospect of conversion greater in the 
church, than out of it ? 

Min. — If the means of grace were acces- 



ADMISSION TO THE CHURCH. 207 

sible only to church members, there would 
be some reason for sinners to seek admis- 
sion. But that is not the case. All the 
array of means of God's appointment, for 
the conversion of sinners, is intended for, 
and brought to bear upon, those who are 
out of the church. Indeed, when an un- 
converted sinner joins the church, he ra- 
ther puts himself out of the way of many 
of those means of grace, which are inten- 
ded for his benefit. Of what use, then, is 
a mere nominal connection with the 
church? A voluntary connection with 
the church, was by Christ and the apostles 
considered a profession of religion, and has 
been so ever since. Indeed, if it were not 
so, there would be no distinction between 
the church and the world. I need not 
stay to show you the great utility and im- 
portance of having the people of God 
united in a society, distinct and separate 
from the world. Anything that tends to 
break down this distinction, is ruinous in 
all its tendencies. And there is no better 
way to do it, than to have crowds of uncon- 
verted sinners gathered into the church. It 
is not only thus ruinous to the church, but 
it is injurious to the world, as it creates the 
impression, that a mere profession of reli- 
gion is all that is necessary. The Presby- 
terian Church, for these reasons, has al- 



208 ADMISSION TO THE CHURCH, 

ways made true piety an indispensable re- 
quisite, in all her members. I do not mean 
to say, that all her members are true dis- 
ciples. "We cannot, with all our care, 
judge the heart. We find that ministers 
and elders, even in the days of the apos- 
tles, were sometimes deceived in this mat- 
ter ; but it is always our aim to guard it 
as well as we can. We know that the 
higher we can raise the church above the 
world, the more clear and manifest we can 
make the distinction, the better it will be, 
both for the church and the world. 

Con. — Your practice in this seems to me 
both wise and scriptural. It is certainly a 
happy reflection to any church member, 
that all his fellow-members have given sa- 
tisfactory evidence to its officers, that they 
are true disciples of Christ. But there 
are some other denominations who pursue 
a different course. I have heard ministers 
■proclaim from the pulpit, that the proper 
course was, " first to join the church, and 
then seek religion, " that "the church was 
the best place to get religion," &c. And 
I myself, was often urged to join their 
church, when they knew, as well as my- 
self, that I had no change of heart, but 
was fighting against God, in all his love. 

Min. — I know that has become mourn- 
fully common. Many have been thus per- 



ADMISSION TO THE CHURCH. 209 

suaded, that they will gain God's favour by 
insulting him. If the church be not a re- 
ligious society, what is it ? It is called the 
" household of the faithful, the body of 
Christ," &c. And for any one to unite 
with it, who does not belong to Christ, is 
making a false profession, and " lying both 
to God and man." It would be strange, 
indeed, if this were the way to secure the 
favour of the great Head of the Church. 

The apostles pursued a very different 
course. They received to the church vast 
numbers, but we are told it was " of such 
as should be saved." — Acts ii. 47. And 
w r e know, that the character of the church 
for piety, stood so high, that it was a living 
reproof to the world. So much so, that 
we are told, Acts v. 13, that " of the rest 
durst no man join himself to them, but 
the people magnified them." What a com- 
mentary is this upon the practice of those 
who spend their zeal ingathering crowds of 
sinners, of all classes, into the church, 
seemingly more anxious that they should 
give their names to the church roll, than 
their hearts to God. 

Con. — But would it not be better that, 
in the examination of candidates, for ad- 
mission to the church, it should be con- 
ducted by the whole church, instead of its 
officers merely ? The whole church would 
18* 



210 ADMISSION TO THE CHURCH. 

then not only have the benefit of the can- 
dictate's experience, if he be a true child of 
God, but it might be more satisfactory, also, 
that each member should hear and decide 
for himself. 

Min. — In some particular and remarkable 
cases of conversion, it would, no doubt, be 
edifying and useful for all the members 
of the church to hear the candidate tell 
what God has done for him. But particu- 
lar cases should never be made the ground 
of a general rule; and, I think, the expe- 
rience of all churches who receive their 
members by a profession of their faith, as 
we do, will testify, that, as a general rule, 
it is more proper and expedient, to have it 
done by the officers of the church. But 
this involves one of the principal features 
of our form of church government, for 
which, we believe, we have scriptural au- 
thority and precedent. And a full and sa- 
tisfactory consideration of this subject, 
w T ould require more time than we can now 
devote to it. But if it would be gratify- 
ing to you, we will consider it at some fu- 
ture time. 

Con. — I have never had any difficulty 
on the score of church government. The 
Presbyterian form has always struck me 
as wise and orderly, though my preferences 
for it are not the result of any examination 



ADMISSION TO THE CHURCH. 211 

of its principles. I would, therefore, be glad 
to embrace any opportunity of examining 
it more particularly. 

Min. — Call when you have leisure, and 
I will endeavour to explain it to you, in the 
light of the Bible and of common sense. 



DIALOGUE XVIII. 

CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 






Convert. — As I mentioned to you at our 
last interview, I have never thought much 
on the subject of church government, and 
have looked upon it as a matter of expe- 
diency merely ; supposing there was no par- 
ticular form authorized in the Bible, and 
consequently, it was left for the church to 
adopt any form of government, that accord- 
ing to circumstances might be deemed the 
most expedient. 

Minister. — It is inconsistent with the Sa- 
viour's love to the church, and his care 
over her, to suppose, that in a matter af- 
fecting her interests so deeply, he would 
leave it entirely to the management of hu- 
man wisdom. There are certain grand 
principles which the Bible gives for our di- 
rection, in all our duties toward our fellow- 
men, and especially as members of the 
church, in our duties to the church itself, 
and to each other individually. And in 
devising means for her peace, prosperity, 
and order, and labouring for her and our 
spiritual welfare, we surely cannot suppose 
(212) 



CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 213 

that we are left without direction by our 
great and glorious Head. For this very 
purpose, we are told, that he instituted 
certain orders of men in the church, with 
peculiar offices and duties. Eph. iv. 11, 
12 — "He gave some apostles, and some 
prophets, and some evangelists, and some 
pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of 
the saints, for the work of the ministry, 
for the edifying of the body of Christ/ ' 1 
Cor. xii. 28 — " God hath set some in the 
church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, 
thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then 
gifts of healing, helps, governments/ ' 

Con.— But some of these orders and gifts 
do not now exist, and may we not conclude 
that they were all only designed to con- 
tinue for a time ? 

Min.— The extraordinary offices and 
gifts of those times are not now necessary, 
as the canon of revelation is complete ; 
but as "pastors," or ".teachers, helps, and 
governments," are still necessary for the 
church in every age, they are continued. 
But I mentioned those texts to show, that 
the officers of the church are of God's ap- 
pointment. And I believe all evangelical 
denominations of Christians admit that 
some officers of the church, with peculiar 
duties, are divinely appointed, but all do 
not agree as to their number, rank, and 



214 CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 

duties, and the manner in which they 
should be appointed by the church, acting 
under the authority of her Head ; and the 
difference of practice in these several par- 
ticulars, constitutes the different forms of 
church government that now exist. 

Con. — How many different forms of 
church government are there now found ? 

Min. — They may all be classed under 
four general heads, viz. Popery, Episco- 
pacy, Independency, and Presbyterianism. 
There are, it is true, several varieties un- 
der each of these general kinds, but they 
all partake of the essential features of one 
or other, to such a degree, that they clearly 
belong to that class. For instance, the 
Episcopal and Methodist churches, though 
differing in some respects, both have all 
the essential features of Episcopacy, and 
are in fact Episcopal in their government. 
And on the other hand, Presbyterians, Re- 
formed Presbyterians, Associate Presbyte- 
rians, and Associate-Reformed-Presbyteri- 
ans, with the Dutch and German-Reformed 
churches, though they differ in some 
things as to church polity, all partake of 
the essential features of Presbyterianism, 
and are in fact Presbyterian in their gov- 
ernment. There are also different shades 
of Independency or Congregationalism, 
some more and some less purely indepen- 
dent. 



CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 215 

Co n. — What are the grand, distinguish- 
ing features of Presbyterianism ? 

Min. — Presbyterianism is a spiritual re- 
publicanism — the grand distinctive feature 
of which is, power and authority invested 
in those who are chosen by the people, as 
their representatives or agents, to rule in 
their name. Thus it secures all the ad- 
vantages of an aristocracy without any of 
its accompanying evils, and forms a union 
of all the different branches and sections 
of the government, more complete and 
binding than can be found in a monarchy, 
because it is a union by consent of the 
people, and ratified by them, in their capa- 
city of members of the community. In 
Independency, there is no union which 
binds the different parts together, with any 
thing like a common feeling of interest. 
Each congregation is entirely independent 
of all others, and acting and living in its 
separate individual capacity, does not feel 
that it is an integral part of a common 
whole, bound by the same system of laws 
and regulations. Aristocracy and mon- 
archy preserve a union of the different 
parts, but they deprive the people of their 
inalienable rights, of choosing their own 
rulers, &c. Republicanism, whilst it secures 
union, leaves the people in full possession 
of all their rights and liberties. It leaves 



216 CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 

all free, yet brings all under law. It places 
none above law, and leaves none below it. 

Con. — But if the Presbyterian form of 
church government be thus based upon 
republican principles, how can it be said 
to be taken from the Bible? Republi- 
canism is of recent date, as I believe our 
own government is the only one that has ev- 
er existed upon pure republican principles. 

Min. — The close resemblance of our re- 
publican form of government to Presbyte- 
rianism, shows very clearly that they have 
the same origin, but it proves that true re- 
publicanism has its origin in Presbyterian- 
ism. Any one who traces their points of 
similarity, must be convinced that they 
have the same origin. Presbyterianism 
has its several official departments, legisla- 
tive, judicial, and executive, with this dif- 
ference from our civil government, that all 
these duties in our church government, be- 
long to the same set of men. Every church 
court sits and acts in these several capaci- 
ties, as circumstances require. And when 
any church court is about to sit in a judi- 
cial capacity, it is the duty of the Modera- 
tor, who is the presiding officer, to remind 
the body of "their high character as judges 
of a court of Jesus Christ, and the solemn 
duty in which they are about to act." — 
General Rules for Judicatories, 39. These 



CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 217 

duties, in our civil government, are vested 
in different bodies, but they all exactly cor- 
respond with our several church courts. 
Our church Session, as a judicial body, cor- 
responds with our magistrate's court, the 
Presbytery with our County court, the Sy- 
nod with our State court, and the General 
Assembly with our United States court. 
As a legislative body, the church Session 
corresponds with our township officers, 
called in some States trustees, and in others 
by different names. They meet, consult, 
devise measures, and make regulations for 
the general welfare of those who have cho- 
sen them to their office. The Presbytery 
corresponds with our board of County Com- 
missioners, the Synod with our State Le- 
gislature, and the General Assembly with 
the Congress of the United States. With 
each body, also, from the lowest to the 
highest, are the several executive officers, 
with whom the similarity is equally strik- 
e- 
Add to this, the grand principle of dele- 
gated power in a representative system, 
which forms the basis of both our civil and 
church governments, and the similarity is 
still more striking. Other points of simi- 
larity might be noticed, but this is suffi- 
cient to show any one, that one is modeled 
19 



218 CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 

after the other, preserving all the grand 
features and outlines entire. 

Con. — They must have had the same ori- 
gin, but how do we know that Presbyteri- 
anism is the original, and republicanism 
the model ? 

Min. — From simple historical facts. We 
know that Presbyterianism existed, in all 
its purity, long before our government was 
thought of, and even before America was 
discovered. We know that it was perse- 
cution for Presbyterian principles, that 
drove our forefathers to this continent. 
For asserting their inalienable rights, and, 
in some instances, endeavouring to infuse 
republican principles into the governments 
of Europe, they were persecuted, and fled 
to this country, bringing their principles 
with them. They had learned them from 
the Bible, and prized them dearer than 
life. These principles formed the basis of 
all their colonial governments, and when 
they were infringed upon by the mother 
country, they maintained them with their 
blood. The same grand principles of civil 
and religious liberty, for which they were 
persecuted, and fled to this country, were 
those which appeared conspicuous in the 
contest, and for which they contended in 
the arduous struggle. When their liber- 
ties were achieved, and the several colonial 



CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 219 

governments formed one grand confede- 
racy, the same principles were embodied 
in the federal constitution. And there 
they stand, giving us more consistent li- 
berty, both civil and religious, than has 
ever been enjoyed by any nation under 
heaven, except, perhaps, that found in the 
theocracy of the Jews. The secret of our 
success as a republic is, that we have a go- 
vernment, whose principles are the re- 
publicanism of the Bible, which is only 
another name for Presbyterianism. To 
Presbyterianism, then, as derived from the 
Bible, we are indebted for our excellent 
form of government. The sound of liber- 
ty — civil and religious liberty — is delight- 
ful ; but it is an exotic in this dark world, 
and we should never forget, that those 
principles, in the successful operation of 
which we rejoice, are drawn from the trea- 
sure of God's word, which gives to us, un- 
der all circumstances, ^perfect rules of life. 
Con. — But where do we find in the Bi- 
ble, any set of laws or regulations, de- 
signed for civil governments ? The ac- 
counts we have of civil governments, are 
mostly of monarchies ; and, in the New 
Testament times, Christians were subjects 
of the despotic governments then in exist- 
ence. I was not aw T are that republicanism, 
in any shape, was taught in the Bible. 



220 CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 

Min. — I know it is too generally thought 
that the Bible is adverse to human liberty. 
But I think I shall be able to show you, 
that the governments established by God, 
whether of Church or State, were all 
founded upon the same grand principles 
of Republicanism and Presbyterianism, 
which characterize ours. But as this in- 
vestigation would require more time than 
we can devote to it at present, we will de- 
fer it until another time. 



DIALOGUE XIX. 



BIBLE REPUBLICANISM. 



Convert — Did I understand you as say- 
ing, at our last interview, that, according 
to Presbyterianism, all the authority and 
power of the officers of the church were 
derived from the people ? You did not, 
I believe, say so in words, but I under- 
stood it as one of the principles of the sys- 
tem, that the power to rule must come 
from the people; and yet I cannot re- 
concile that with the Bible and the Con- 
fession of Faith, both of which acknow- 
ledge Christ as the fountain of all au- 
thority. 

Minister.— -The power and authority 
which belong to the office, are derived 
from Christ. All church officers hold their 
commission from him. But the authority 
to exercise that power, inherent in their re- 
spective offices, over any congregation, de- 
pends on the will of the people. If I am 
ordained a minister of the gospel, I have 
all the rights and privileges attached to 
that office, by the great Head of the 
19* (221) 



222 BIBLE REPUBLICANISM. 

church ; but I have no authority over any 
congregation that does not choose me as 
their pastor, or that does not voluntarily 
subject itself to the Presbytery of which 
I am a member. The same is true of el- 
ders ; and thus, ministers and elders, are 
the elected representatives of the people, 
the rulers whom they have voluntarily 
chosen. The people choose the persons 
whom they wish to bear rule over them, 
and then look to the Head of the church 
to clothe them with the authority requisite 
to constitute them their rulers. Thus, the 
authority of Christ, as Head of the church, 
and the grand principle of representation, 
are both acknowledged and preserved in 
perfect harmony. And in this too, you 
can see another point in which republican- 
ism shows its Bible origin. The people, 
in a republican government, elect their 
officers, but they do not commission them, 
or induct them into office. That must be 
done by the proper authorities. Election 
is not considered as, in itself, vesting men 
with the peculiar rights and privileges be- 
longing to the office to which they are 
elected. But when elected they are, by 
the constituted authorities of the govern- 
ment, clothed with the proper authority, 
to act as the representatives of those by 
whom they are elected, and are invested 



BIBLE EEPUBLICANISM. 223 

with the rights and privileges belonging to 
their respective offices. 

Con. — I perceive the resemblance is 
striking ; but that our form of civil gov- 
ernment is derived from the Bible, is a 
fact, I think, very little regarded, if known, 
or thought of at all, by the generality of 
men. 

Min. — I know it is very little regarded, 
but still the facts are conclusive proof, that 
such is the case. The Bible gives us the 
first pattern of civil liberty and equality, 
that ever existed on republican principles. 
The pride and selfishness of man naturally 
tend to the extremes of power and wealth 
on the one hand, and oppression and pov- 
erty on the other. But that happy medi- 
um, where all are free and independent, 
yet all under law, none but God knew how 
to secure. And in the examples he has 
given us in his word, we have a light to 
guide us, which stands out as a beacon amid 
the dark conflicting elements of all other 
systems. I wish to direct your attention 
in the first place, very briefly, to the civil 
economy of the Jews, as established by 
God, when he brought them from Egyptian 
bondage, and gave them civil and religious 
freedom. The different tribes formed one 
grand confederacy, similar to ours, each 
one being sovereign in itself, for all the 



224 BIBLE REPUBLICANISM. 

purposes of self-government. The doc- 
trine of appeals, from the lower courts to 
the higher, is distinctly laid down ; their 
highest court of appeal being the Sanhe- 
drim, or seventy, corresponding to our fed- 
eral court. The election of their rulers, 
was upon republican principles. Moses 
issues to them a proclamation : " Take ye 
wise men and understanding, and known 
among your tribes, and I will make them 
rulers over you," &c. That is, you elect, 
and I will commission, to their respective 
offices. Moses was their civil ruler, or 
president, first chosen by God himself, and 
afterwards by the common consent of the 
people. We do not read that there was a 
formal ratification of his appointment, as 
there was in the case of Joshua, his succes- 
sor. We find them saying to Joshua, " All 
that thou commandest us, we will do. * 
* * According as we hearkened unto 
Moses, so will we hearken unto thee," &c. 
— Josh i. 16, 17. The power of their civil 
rulers was very limited; and they were 
distinctly told, that even if they should 
choose a king he must not consider him- 
self in the light of a monarch. He must 
be chosen from among the people. He 
must not " multiply horses to himself." 
He must not " multiply to himself silver 
and gold," &c. He must be under the law 



BIBLE REPUBLICANISM. 225 

equally with the rest. His heart must not 
be " lifted up above his brethren," &c. — 
Deut xvii. 16 — 20. Indeed, it is doubtful 
whether their constitution and government 
could have been so perfectly free, and yet 
efficient, had it not been that God himself 
was, for four hundred years, the supreme 
executive. "When they desired a king, 
they were distinctly reproved for their folly, 
and warned of the encroachment on per- 
sonal and public liberty, which would be 
the consequence. But even then, though, 
at their request, the executive authority 
was placed in the hands of a king, the re- 
publican form of government was not 
changed. 

Con. — But how could a republican form 
of government exist under a king ? 

Min. — The person who was nominated 
for their king by God, was accepted by the 
people by acclamation ; and though called 
a king, and invested with executive au- 
thority, was, in fact, nothing more at first, 
than commander-in-chief of a republic. His 
power and authority were limited, and regu- 
lated by a covenant or constitution, called 
"the manner of the kingdom," which was 
distinctly declared to the people ; and, being 
ratified by them, was recorded in the stat- 
ute book, and preserved as the palladium 
of their rights. " Samuel wrote it in a book, 



226 BIBLE REPUBLICANISM. 

and laid it up before the Lord." — 1 Sam. 
x. 25. We find the popular side of the 
government was so completely predomi- 
nant, that even David did not dare openly 
to take the life of the lowest of his sub- 
jects, or even to punish offenders. When 
TJriah stood in his way, he had to resort to 
stratagem ; and when Joab deserved death, 
he dare not execute it himself. " These 
sons of Zeruiah," he says, " are too hard for 
me." Their influence was so great, that 
he found it impossible to have them con- 
demned by the proper authorities, without 
w T hich he dare not proceed against them. 
These principles, however, were afterwards 
lost sight of, the people became corrupt, 
and their kings became despots ; but for 
four hundred years, they enjoyed as much 
freedom in their government, as is consist- 
ent with efficiency, in any age that the 
world has yet seen, or probably will see. 

Another excellent feature of this repub- 
lican sj-stem, was the equal distribution of 
their land, by which every adult male was 
a landholder — the veritable owner of the 
soil on which he lived. There were no en- 
tailed estates, no hereditary nobility. Ev- 
ery family possessed its own land. This 
simple principle of ownership, in fee-sim- 
ple, of the soil, is one of vast importance 
to a republican government. Indeed, it 



BIBLE REPUBLICANISM. 227 

would seem to be one of its essential fea- 
tures. It encourages industry, inculcates 
patriotism, and is one of the main springs 
of civil liberty. Provision was made, in 
the laws given by God to Moses, for the 
perpetual preservation of this principle, so 
long as their constitution was held sacred. 
If, through misfortune, or other contin- 
gencies, any family was compelled to sell 
their land, it could not be alienated from 
the family longer than the year of jubilee. 
So that every fifty years the land reverted 
back to its original owners, in the regular 
line of descent. The law respecting the 
ownership of land, is very minutely laid 
down in the xxv. chapter of Leviticus, 
which, if you have never examined partic- 
ularly, will amply repay you for an attentive 
perusal. It shows divine wisdom, in its 
excellent provisions. A man by careless- 
ness, or wickedness, might deprive him- 
self of all the benefits arising from owner- 
ship in land ; but no vice, or slothfulness, 
or misfortune, could deprive his family of 
their portion of the soil. 

In the setting apart of the tribe of Levi 
as public instructors, there was provision 
made for a general system of education, 
which resulted most happily, in raising the 
whole mass of the people, to a degree of 
refinement and intelligence, then not 
equalled in the world. 



228 BIBLE REPUBLICANISM. ' 

Con. — But where do we find, in the laws 
given by God to Moses, anything like a 
civil constitution, or a system of laws ex- 
pressly designed for their civil economy ? 

Min. — In those laws we find three 
classes. First, those which are called 
moral, which are obligatory on all men, 
under all circumstances, universally and 
perpetually. Second, those which are 
called ceremonial, which prescribe the 
rites and forms of the Jewish worship. 
Third, those which are called judicial, 
which relate entirely to their civil econo- 
my, and in which we find all the principles 
which I have mentioned as the prominent 
features of republicanism, standing out 
conspicuously. They preserve, in the 
hands of the people, as much personal 
liberty as ever was, or perhaps can be, 
combined with a permanent and efficient 
national government. These laws, more- 
over, were formally adopted by the people. 
When Moses rehearsed to them the words 
of God, they answered with one unani- 
mous voice — "All the words which the 
Lord hath said, we will do." Thus their 
laws, their civil constitution, were accepted 
and adopted. This adoption of their con- 
stitution, was repeated at the death of 
Moses ; and, by a statute, ever after, from 
generation to generation, once in seven 



BIBLE KEPUBLICANISM. 229 

years, the tribes were required to meet in 
a great national convention, solemnly to 
ratify their constitution. 

From this very brief view of the Jewish 
government, you may see the origin of 
those principles of civil and religious liber- 
ty, which prove so rich a blessing wherever 
adopted, and fairly carried out. 

Con. — But is there any proof that their 
ecclesiastical affairs were conducted upon 
the same principles ? 

Min.—I have before remarked, that for 
four hundred years, in the theocracy of 
the Jews, God himself was the supreme 
executive. Consequently, their civil and 
ecclesiastical polities were blended, to a 
considerable extent, in one system. Their 
several courts seem to have had the adju- 
dication of all matters, both civil and reli- 
gious. This was necessary, considering 
the circumstances under which the Jewish 
government was instituted and existed. It 
seems to have been the object of God, in 
establishing the Mosaic economy, to forti- 
fy his people against idolatry, and preserve 
a pure religion, as well as to stop the 
march of despotism, lust and blood, which 
darkened and cursed the whole world be- 
sides. The nations of the earth had cast 
off his allegiance, and turned their back 
upon him, and his commandments. He 
20 



230 BIBLE REPUBLICANISM. 

chose for himself a nation to whom he 
committed his word and his worship, and 
who, as a pattern of excellence in all re- 
spects, might exhibit to an apostate world 
the " blessedness of that nation whose God 
is the Lord." It was, therefore, necessa- 
ry, that God should appear conspicuous as 
their immediate lawgiver and executive, 
in all that pertained to their welfare, both 
civil and religious. The blessed effects of 
true religion upon a national government, 
were also to be exhibited, and, consequent- 
ly, we find their civil and ecclesiastical 
polities blended in one system. Even their 
great national convention, at which they 
deliberated upon, and, if necessary, modi- 
fied their constitution and laws, was called 
"an holy convocation." Their church 
government, therefore, partook of tlie same 
features which characterized their civil go- 
vernment, and here we find Presbyterian- 
ism in all its essential features. But as on 
this point I wish to be a little more speci- 
fic, we will take some other opportunity 
to consider it more at length, than our 
time at present will permit. 



DIALOGUE XX. 

BIBLE PRESBYTERIANISM. 

Convert. — Since our last conversation, I 
have been examining, to some extent, the 
account we have in the Bible respecting 
the government of the Jews, as established 
by Moses, according to the direction of 
God, and find very frequent mention made 
of "Elders," who seem to have been offi- 
cers or rulers among them. Is it from that 
title and office, that the office and title of 
"Kuling Elder" of the Presbyterian sys- 
tem are derived ? 

Minister. — The term Elder literally sig- 
nifies an aged person. The word in the 
original languages of the Bible has the 
same signification. Persons of age and ex- 
perience were usually selected to fill sta- 
tions of honour and trust, because of their 
gravity and wisdom ; consequently, the 
term Elder became an established title of 
office. The titles of Alderman, Senator, 
and others, are of the same origin. The 
term Presbyter is simply the Greek word 

(231) 



232 BIBLE PRESBYTERIANISM. 

for Elder, transferred into our language 
with a slight change in its orthography, 
without being translated. 

The office of Elder is derived from that 
which the title signified with the " Elders 
of Israel," that is, the elders of the Pres- 
byterian Church hold a similar station, 
with similar duties and obligations. The 
" Elders of Israel" seem to have been the 
acknowledged representatives of the peo- 
ple, acting for them, and in their name. 
Even during their bondage in Egypt, they 
seem to have had those who were termed 
Elders officially, who acted by authority in 
behalf of the people. God said to Moses, 
Ex. iii. 16 — " Go and gather the Elders of 
Israel together, and say unto them," &c. 
Here was a message that concerned the 
whole mass of the people, and no doubt 
was designed for them ; yet Moses was 
commanded not to deliver it to the people 
themselves, but to their representatives, 
the Elders, whose duty it would consequent- 
ly be, to make it known to the people. 
Moses was also commanded to take with 
him " the Elders of Israel," when he should 
go with the message of God to Pharaoh, 
(Ex. iii. 18,) that he might see that it was 
the voice of the whole congregation of 
Israel speaking through their Elders. 
Moses himself was not counted sufficient, 



BIBLE PRESBYTERIANISM. 233 

which shows they had no aristocracy ; the 
people were not required to attend, which 
is contrary to independency ; but the El- 
ders of the people were called, to whom it 
was committed. 

Con. — But we read frequently, that God 
told Moses to " speak unto the children of 
Israel;" from which it would seem, that 
the people themselves were most general- 
ly appealed to. 

Min. — In such cases, we are to under- 
stand the direction of God to Moses, to be 
in accordance with their established usage. 
He had, in the first instance, named the 
Elders particularly, as those through w T hom 
Moses should communicate to the people 
his messages ; and, consequently, it is to be 
understood, that when God tells him to 
" speak unto the children of Israel," he 
meant that he should communicate with 
them through the same channel. This is 
plain from the fact, that it would be im- 
possible for Moses to deliver his messages 
to the whole congregation of the people. 
It was impossible, in their circumstances, 
to assemble the whole multitude ; and, if 
assembled, he could not speak to them all. 
It is, therefore, most natural to suppose, 
that it was always done through the El- 
ders, especially, seeing that they are so fre- 
quently mentioned as those through whom 
20* 



234 BIBLE PRESBYTERIANISM. 

God and Moses communicated with the 
people. In Ex. xvii. 5, 6, the Elders were 
selected to witness the miracle of striking 
the rock in Horeb. We find them, also, 
on other occasions, selected for similar 
purposes. — Ex. xxiv. 1, 9. 

The principle of representation is very 
strikingly exhibited in Lev. iv. 13 — 15 — 
" If the whole congregation sin," &c., " the 
Elders of the congregation shall lay their 
hands upon the head of the bullock," 
brought for a sin offering. Here it is plain, 
that the Elders were viewed as represent- 
ing the whole congregation; and what 
they did in the name of the congregation, 
was accepted by God as the act of the 
whole. 

In many instances during the journey- 
ings of the Israelites through the wilder- 
ness, the Elders are spoken of as being 
called together by Moses, to deliberate on 
important matters, or to receive commu- 
nications for the people. The following 
passages you may note down and consult 
at your leisure — Ex. xviii. 12 ; Numb, 
xi. 16, 25 ; Deut. xxv. 7 ; xxix. 10 ; xxxi. 
28 ; xxxiii. 7 ; Josh. xxiv. 31. In these 
and many other passages, you will find 
Elders spoken of in their official capacity, 
as acting authoritatively for, and in behalf 
of the people. Their care over the morality 



BIBLE PRESBYTERIANISM. 235 

and religion of the people, and the benefi- 
cial effects of their supervision, are spoken 
of in Josh. xxiv. 31 — " Israel served the 
Lord all the days of Joshua, and of the 
Elders that overlived Joshua, and which 
had known all the works of the Lord that 
he had done for Israel. " The frequent 
mention made of them through the whole 
period of the Jewish history, shows very 
clearly, that even in their lowest condition, 
they did not lose sight entirely of the prin- 
ciples upon which their government was 
first established. 

Con. — But when their civil government 
was changed under their kings, would it 
not also have the effect of changing, or 
modifying, their system of church govern- 
ment, seeing that they were so intimately 
connected in their first establishment? 

Min. — To what extent their civil govern- 
ment became changed, it is difficult to as- 
certain. It was more -or less despotic un- 
der their different kings, in proportion as 
each one was disposed to regard his duty 
to God and man. Still, however, we find 
some traces of republicanism, in the dark- 
est periods of their history. But as the 
civil government became changed, the 
church seems to have separated from it. 
"We find in the synagogue service and or- 
der, a system of church government en- 



236 BIBLE PRESBYTERIANISM. 

tirely distinct and separate, comprising in 
itself a complete system of church polity. 
It is, indeed, contended by some very able 
biblical scholars, that this distinction be- 
tween the civil and ecclesiastical polities 
of the Jews, existed from the first setting up 
of the tabernacle in the wilderness. There 
can be no doubt, however, that it existed 
afterwards in the order and service of 
their synagogues. 

Con. — When was the synagogue service 
first established ? 

Min. — It perhaps cannot be clearly ascer- 
tained. Philo, in his life of Moses, gives 
some good reasons for the opinion that it 
was instituted by him. Dr. Prideaux con- 
tends, that it could not have existed pre- 
vious to the return of the Jews from their 
captivity in Babylon. His reasoning, how- 
ever, is not conclusive. He founds his 
opinion mainly upon the fact, that the 
reading and expounding of the Scriptures 
then extant, was the most prominent of 
synagogue services, and as copies of the 
Scriptures were not generally distributed 
previous to the captivity, the synagogue 
service, he thinks, could not have existed. 
The other services of the synagogue, how- 
ever, praise, prayer, and exhortation, might 
have existed previously; and, after the 
captivity, reading and expounding the law 



BIBLE PRESBYTERIANISM. 237 

may have been added. It does not appear 
that the Jews were at any time restricted 
to any particular place for the performance 
of their devotional exercises, though their 
sacrifices could only be offered at the ta- 
bernacle, or temple. We know that praise 
and prayer were offered, and instruction 
given, at the "schools of the prophets," 
of which we find mention made as early 
as the days of Samuel. How long before 
Samuel they were instituted, cannot be 
clearly ascertained. The devout Israelites 
were in the habit of assembling at these 
schools, for the purposes of devotion and 
instruction, on their new moons and Sab- 
baths. 1 Sam. x. 5—11; xix. 18—24. 2 
Kings iv. 23. The natural course would 
be, that these places for meeting would be 
multiplied, as the wants of the people 
seemed to demand, and a regular order of 
conducting divine worship would be intro- 
duced. In Ezek. xiv. 1, and xx. 1, com- 
pared with JSTeh. viii. 17, 18, we have inti- 
mations that such was the case. In Psa. 
lxxxiv. there seems to be a direct allusion 
to such places of worship ; and, in Psa. 
lxxiv. 8, the Psalmist, speaking of the de- 
solations wrought by their enemies, says 
expressly, " They have burnt up all the 
synagogues of God in the land." 

The most natural conclusion, therefore, 



238 BIBLE PRESBYTEBIANISM. 

is, as it seems to me, that the prophets and 
holy men — "the Elders of Israel" — under 
the direction of God, instituted the syna- 
gogue service at a very early period, first 
by devout assemblies at the schools of the 
prophets, and the houses of holy men ; and 
these domestic congregations being mul- 
tiplied, as the wants of the people seemed 
to demand, and becoming fixed in certain 
places, a distinct system of church polity, 
and a regular order of conducting divine 
service, was introduced. This point, how- 
ever, is not of much importance to our 
present inquiry. We know that there was 
such a system in existence when our Sa- 
viour came upon earth ; and that when 
the Christian church was set up as a regu- 
lar organization by the apostles, they 
adopted the order of the synagogue. 

Con. — But w T as that Presby terianism ? 

Min. — In every synagogue there was a 
bench of Elders, consisting of three or 
more persons, who were entrusted with its 
whole government and discipline. The 
synagogues were the parish or district 
churches of the Jews, in which the Elders, 
as a court, or bench of rulers, received 
members, judged, censured, and excluded, 
or excommunicated. Their sentence of 
excommunication was termed "putting 
him out of the synagogue" — John ix. 22, 



BIBLE PRESBYTEKIANISM. 239 

and xii. 42 — and the Elders were called 
"the rulers of the synagogue," of whom 
we have frequent mention in the New Tes- 
tament. We find, therefore, that in the 
synagogues, all the essential principles of 
Presbyterianism were universally estab- 
lished. The similarity in every important 
point was exact. We find, also, that in 
addition to this bench of Elders in each 
synagogue, there was one principal over- 
seer, who was called the " Bishop," or 
" Angel of the church," who was the pre- 
siding officer, or Moderator. From these 
lower courts, also, there was an appeal to 
the "great synagogue" at Jerusalem ; thus 
blending the whole community together 
as one visible professing body. 

In this, I believe, all commentators and 
biblical scholars agree, be their preposses- 
sions as to church government what 
they may. Did time permit, I could quote 
to you Stillingfieet, Vitringa, Selden, Gro- 
tius, Lightfoot, Thorndike, Burnet, God- 
win, Neander, Spencer, and others, who 
all agree, in every important point, respect- 
ing the order and polity of the synagogue. 
The testimony of these eminent men is 
rendered more conclusive from the fact, 
that they were not Presbyterians, with, 
perhaps, one or two exceptions. I might 
also quote Dr. Gill, and Dr. Adam Clarke, 



240 BIBLE PBESBYTERIANISM. 

as teaching the same truth. The extensive 
learning and deep research of these emi- 
nent men, no competent judge will call in 
question ; and as one was a Baptist and 
the other a Methodist, they cannot be ac- 
cused of favouring Presbyterianism, fur- 
ther than in giving what they conceived 
to be the plain sense of the Scriptures. 

The first converts to Christianity were 
mostly native Jews, and as they had been 
accustomed to the exercise of church go- 
vernment in the manner specified, entire- 
ly distinct from the temple worship, which 
was ceremonial and typical, it is not sur- 
prising that it should be adopted by the 
apostles in the organization of the primi- 
tive church. That this was the case, we 
have abundant evidence, which is so con- 
clusive that it seems to me a matter of 
wonder that it should be controverted. At 
a future time, I will give you a brief sum- 
mary of the evidence that the primitive 
church was truly Presbyterian, and con- 
tinued so until it was corrupted by Popery, 
which will, I think, convince you of the 
Scriptural warrant for Presbyterianism. 



DIALOGUE XXI. 

PRIMITIVE PRESBYTERIANISM. 

Convert — A difficulty has occurred to 
my mind since our last conversation, re- 
specting the officers of the synagogue. 
You spoke of Elders, but I do not recol- 
lect that you said anything about Minis- 
ters, as belonging to the established order 
of the synagogue, unless the presiding offi- 
cer, "the Angel of the church," acted in 
that capacity. 

Minister. — It was one of the duties of the 
chief rulers of the synagogue, to teach the 
people from the Scriptures. This they 
did sometimes by way of conference, or 
questions and answers, and sometimes by 
continued discourses, like sermons. These 
different ways of teaching they called by 
the general name of searching, and the 
discourse was called a search, or inquiry. 
The chief ruler or president also invited 
others, whom he thought capable, to speak 
in the synagogue; and that honour was 
generally offered to strangers, if any were 
present, who were thought to have the 
gift of speaking. — Luke iv. 16 — 22 ; Acts 
21 (241) 



242 PRIMITIVE PRESBYTERIANISM. 

xiii. 14. 15. These presidents, or chief 
rulers, together with the bench of Elders, 
were called rulers. Hence, in the primi- 
tive church, the preacher or pastor, toge- 
ther with the bench of Elders, were called 
by the general name of Elders. Paul, in 
giving instruction to Timothy, tells him, 
" Let the Elders that rule well, be counted 
worthy of double honour, especially they 
who labour in the word and doctrine.' ' — 1 
Tim. v. 17. From which it is plain, that 
there was a class of Elders, who did not 
labour in word and doctrine. Peter called 
himself an Elder, and we know he was a 
preacher. We know, also, that there were 
Elders who ruled, yet did not preach, be- 
cause there was a plurality of them or- 
dained in every church, however small, and 
we cannot suppose that in every church 
they had a plurality of pastors. 

Con. — But how do we know that these 
Pastors and Elders sustained the same 
office, and were clothed with the same au- 
thority, which we now find invested in the 
officers of the Presbyterian Church ? 

Min. — We find the Elders represented 
as " overseers" of the church. " Take heed 
therefore unto yourselves, and to all the 
flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath 
made you overseers." — Acts xx. 28. They 
are also called rulers. "Let the Elders 



PRIMITIVE PRESBYTEMANISM. 243 

that rule well."— 1 Tim. v. IT: "Obey 
them that have the rule over you/' &c- — 
Heb. xiii. 17. The people, too, are ex- 
horted to obey them, to submit to them, 
&c., as to persons charged with an over- 
sight of their spiritual interests. " And 
we beseech you, brethren, to know them 
which labour among you, and are over you 
in the Lord, and admonish you ; and to 
esteem them very highly in love for their 
work's sake.— 1 Thess. v. 12, 13. " Obey 
them that have the rule over you, and sub- 
mit yourselves," &c— Heb. xiii. 17. Now, 
when we find a plurality of Elders ordained 
in every church, and one of these Elders 
" labouring in word and doctrine," and 
others not; and when we find that the 
people were exhorted to obey them, and 
submit to them in the Lord; and, also, 
that these Elders were chosen by the peo- 
ple, and ordained to their office by the lay- 
ing on of hands ; we h#ve all the essential 
principles of Presbyterianism. This will 
appear to you the more plain, when you 
recur to the fact I before noticed, that the 
term Presbyter is the same with Elder. In 
the one case it is translated, and in the 
other it is simply transferred, with a slight 
change in orthography. 

Con. — But we find the word Bishop of- 
ten used to denote an office then existing 



244 PRIMITIVE PRESBYTERIANISM. 

in the church, and does not this fact afford 
some ground for Episcopacy? 

Min. — The term "Bishop," like that of 
Presbyter, is transferred into our language 
without being translated. It means an 
overseer, and we have it so translated in 
several instances. " Take heed to your- 
selves, and to all the flock over the which 
the Holy Ghost hath made you over- 
seers," (or Bishops.) — Acts xx. 28. The 
Elders are styled Bishops, as they have the 
oversight of the flock, and the terms Bi- 
shop, and Elder, are titles given inter- 
changeably to the same persons, which 
plainly shows that the term Bishop was no 
more than the title which designated the 
pastor, or overseer of a single church. We 
do not find in the New Testament a single 
trace of Episcopacy, in its modern form. 
Indeed, the placing of one minister above 
another is expressly forbidden. There is 
but one commission given by the Lord 
Jesus Christ to his ministers: "Go and 
teach all nations, baptizing them in the 
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 
the Holy Ghost." And anything like one 
minister being placed higher in authority 
than the rest, and having rule over them, 
and possessing alone the power of ordina- 
tion, is directly in the face of the com- 
mands of Christ, and all the instituted or- 



PRIMITIVE PRESBYTERIANISM. 245 

der of the primitive church. There is not 
a solitary instance in all the New Testa- 
ment, of an ordination being performed by 
a single individual, but the power is uni- 
formly represented as being possessed, and 
exercised, by the ordinary pastors, and per- 
formed by the "laying on of the hands of 
the Presbytery/' — 1 Tim. iv. 14; Acts xiii. 
3; which corresponds with Presbyterian- 
ism, and with Presbyterianism alone. 
That this was the form of church govern- 
ment adopted by the apostles, and left in 
universal use when these inspired men left 
the church to their successors, it really 
seems almost impossible that any impar- 
tial and candid reader of the New Testa- 
ment can entertain a doubt. 

Cow.— But have we also authority, or 
precedent, for the several church courts 
which we find in use in the Presbyterian 
church ? 

Min. — It is very plain, that the whole 
church, as it then existed, however scat- 
tered, was regarded as one body, all go- 
verned by the same laws, and subject to 
the same authority. "When a subject of 
importance arose, about which there was 
diversity of opinion, we find* the matter 
considered and decided by a synod com- 
posed of the "apostles and elders." — Acts 
xv. We have in this chapter an account 
21* 



246 PRIMITIVE PRESBYTERIANISM. 

of the doings of the Synod, which met at 
Jerusalem, and have it particularly stated, 
that their decision respecting the overture 
which was brought before them, was sent 
down to "all the churches," carrying with 
it the authority of the Synod for their re- 
gulation. "We find, also, that this decree 
with others, was recorded and delivered to 
the churches, to be registered, preserved, 
and obeyed. As Paul and Timothy " went 
through the cities, they delivered them the 
decrees for to keep, which were ordained 
by the apostles and elders which were at 
Jerusalem." — Acts xvi. 4. Here, then, we 
find an assembly of ministers and elders 
acting as the representatives of the whole 
church, and pronouncing authoritative de- 
cisions, which were intended to bind the 
whole body. If this be not Presbyterian- 
ism, we will search for it in vain, either in 
Scotland or America. 

Con. — How long did the church con- 
tinue under Presbyterian government, and 
what was the cause of the change ? 

Alin. — It is difficult to ascertain precise- 
ly the time of the first departure from 
Presbyterianism. The change was, no 
doubt, small at first, and thought to be tri- 
vial. Clemens Romanus, an eminent Fa- 
ther, who lived near the close of the first 
century, in a letter directed to the Chris- 



PRIMITIVE PRESBYTERIANISM. 247 

tians at Corinth, chides them for having, 
at the instigation of a few leading men, 
departed, in one respect, from the wise 
and wholesome system of church govern- 
ment established by the apostles. " It is a 
shame," he writes, "yea, a very great 
shame, to hear that the most firm and an- 
cient church of the Corinthians should be 
led, by one or two persons, to rise up 
against their Elders. * * * Let the 
flock of Christ enjoy peace, with the El- 
ders that are set over them. * * * Do 
ye, therefore, who first laid the foundation 
for this sedition, submit yourselves to your 
Elders." Two things are plain from these 
expressions. First, that the Corinthian 
church had been organized upon Presby- 
terian principles, and had so continued for 
a time, probably during one generation. 
Second, that a departure from it was 
viewed by this eminent Father as deserv- 
ing of censure. This, however, was only 
a solitary case, and the defection did not 
become general for a length of time after- 
wards. But it shows how prone men are 
to depart from the simplicity of the order 
of the primitive times. The testimony of 
the Fathers is abundant and clear, that the 
church, in general, continued to enjoy the 
primitive Presbyterian form of govern- 
ment for at least two centuries. Did time 



248 PRIMITIVE PRESBYTERIANISM. 

permit, I might quote to you, Ignatius, 
Polycarp, Irenseus, Cyprian, Origen, Am- 
brose, Augustine, Justin Martyr, and 
others, as stating the same truths, that in 
the early ages of the church, the different, 
distinct churches were under the care of 
a Bishop, or Pastor, and a bench of El- 
ders, and that there was no priority, or 
pre-eminence of rank among the ministers. 
Indeed, for the first two hundred years af- 
ter Christ, we find no traces of either Pre- 
lacy or Independency, except they may be 
traced in the few departures from Presby- 
terianism, which we find condemned and 
censured by the Fathers. Ambrose, who 
lived in the fourth century, in his com- 
mentary on 1 Tim. v. 1, says, that " the 
synagogues, and afterwards the church, 
had Elders, without whose counsel nothing 
was done in the church, which grew into 
disuse, by what negligence, I know not, 
unless, perhaps, by the sloth, or rather the 
pride, of the Teachers, while they alone, 
wished to appear something.' ' That there 
were Elders and Teachers, as distinct 
classes of officers in the primitive church, 
Ambrose asserts positively, and expresses 
his opinion, that they "grew into disuse, 
from the sloth or pride of the teachers.' ' 
We find from the history of those times, 
that both the Ministry and Eldership of 



PRIMITIVE PRESBYTERIANISM. 249 

the church, declined in zeal and faithful- 
ness. The pictures given of the cupidity, 
mutual encroachments and strife of the 
clergy, even in the third century, by Cy- 
prian, Origen, and Eusebius, are truly 
mournful. In such a state of things it is 
not surprising, that the simplicity of the 
primitive church gave place to a system 
which flattered ambition, and fed volup- 
tuousness. Among such ministers, a 
grasping after preferment, titles, &c, 
might be confidently expected. The pas- 
tors in the large cities, and more opulent 
towns, began to claim a pre-eminence and 
peculiar powers, which by little and little 
were admitted, and at length established, 
as a part of the order of Christ's house. 
And, finally, the bishops became " lords 
over God's heritage," rather than "ensani- 
ples to the flock;" and to crown all, one 
was proclaimed "universal Bishop," under 
the title of Pope — declared to be the " Vi- 
car of God," — with universal, unlimited 
authority over the souls and bodies of all 
men in the world. 

Con. — And was the primitive order of 
the church so entirely lost in this universal 
corruption, that none remained to bear 
witness to the truth ? 

Min. — The Paulicians we find, in the 
seventh century, testifying against the en- 



250 PRIMITIVE PRESBYTERIANISM. 

croaclmients of Prelacy, and afterwards the 
"Waldenses and Albigenses, still more dis- 
tinctly and zealously, protested against the 
errors of the times, and especially, the en- 
croachments on Presbyterian simplicity. 
It was, indeed, supposed that the Walden- 
ses were prior to the Paulicians. The noted 
Eeinerius, who lived near three hundred 
years before Luther, and had once resided 
with the Waldenses, though he afterwards 
became one of their bitterest persecutors, 
in a treatise he wrote against them, ascribes 
to them a very early origin. He said they 
were " the most pernicious to the Church 
of Rome of all other heretics, for three rea- 
sons. First, because they were older than 
any other sect, for some say they have been 
ever since Pope Sylvester, (A. D. 314,) and 
others say from the time of the apostles/' 
Their origin is too remote to be traced with 
distinctness and certainty. That they were 
Presbyterian both in doctrine and order, 
must be admitted by all. John Paul Per- 
rin, their historian, who was one of their 
ministers, speaks particularly of their El- 
ders and Pastors, as distinct classes of offi- 
cers in the church, and represents their 
Synods as composed of Ministers and El- 
ders. Gilly, another historian of the Wal- 
denses, quotes their Confession of Faith, as 
containing the following declaration : "It 



PRIMITIVE PRESBYTERIANISM. 251 

is necessary for the church to have Pastors, 
to preach God's word, to administer the 
sacraments, and to watch over the sheep 
of Jesus Christ ; and also Elders and Dea- 
cons, according to the rules of good and 
holy church discipline, and the practice of 
the primitive church." This not only 
shows beyond doubt that the Waldenses 
were Presbyterians, but it also shows what 
they believed respecting; the Presbyterian- 
ism of the primitive church. Other histo- 
rians of undisputed authority, assert the 
game respecting the Waldenses, and the 
Bohemians, and the Albigenses, who were 
different branches of the same people, and 
called by different names, as they lived at 
different times, and in different places. 
Moreland, Ranken, Comenius, Bucer, and 
others, all give decisive testimony to the 
fact, that these witnesses for the truth, du- 
ring the long period of darkness and cor- 
ruption which overspread the church, were 
decidedly Presbyterian, both in doctrine 
and order.* 

Thus I have endeavoured to give you a 
very brief and hasty view of Presbyterian- 
ism from the days of the apostles to the 
reformation by Luther. To the facts that 

* See a very interesting " History of the Waldenses," il- 
lustrated with beautiful engravings, published by the Board 
of Publication. 



252 PRIMITIVE PRESBYTERIANISM. 

I have stated, volumes of testimony might 
be given, but circumstances would only- 
permit us to glance at a small part of it. 
But from what has been said, you can per- 
ceive the puerile ignorance manifested by 
those who allege that Presbyterianism was 
invented by Calvin. 

Con. — "Were the Reformers Presbyterian 
in their sentiments and practice ? 

Min. — All the Reformers, of any note, 
agreed upon all the essential principles of 
Presbyterianism. But as our conversation 
has been sufficiently protracted at this time, 
we will on some future occasion examine 
what history says on that point. 



DIALOGUE XXII. 

PRESBYTERIANISM OF THE REFORMERS. 

Convert. — In our former conversations I 
have not noticed, that among the officers 
of the Presbyterian church, you said any- 
thing respecting Deacons, yet they are fre- 
quently mentioned in the New Testament ; 
and I find, also, mention made of them in 
the Confession of the "Waldenses. They 
are also, I believe, in most Presbyterian 
churches that I am acquainted with. 

Minister. — The office of Deacon is a very 
important one, and should be found in ev- 
ery church, where circumstances require 
and admit of it ; still, however, it is not an 
essential part of Presbyterianism, that is, a 
church may exist, and act upon Presbyte- 
rian principles, in which they are not 
found. The want of this office does not 
destroy its Presbyterianism ; whereas, a 
Presbyterian church cannot exist without 
Elders. Deacons existed in the syna- 
gogues, and were afterwards introduced by 
the apostles into the primitive church, as 
soon as circumstances seemed to require it. 
22 (263) 



.354 PRESBTTERIANISM OF 

We find that the church had existed for 
some time, and when "the number of 
disciples was multiplied," circumstances 
seemed to call for the appointment of some, 
whose special business it should be to at- 
tend to the temporal concerns of the church, 
especially to superintend her benevolent 
operations. — Acts vi. So in every church 
in which this part of its business requires 
much of the attention of the minister and 
elders, if the circumstances at all admit of 
it, they should have "Deacons set over the 
work, 7 ' who should be solemnly ordained 
by prayer and the laying on of hands, in 
the same way that the other officers are or- 
dained. The importance of the office to 
the church you can easily perceive, and it 
shows in a very clear light the wisdom of 
the Great Head of the church, in arranging 
all things necessary to her peace, comfort 
and prosperity. Hence, we find, that 
though the office of Deacon has not been 
uniformly found in all Presbyterian 
churches, yet it has been generally con- 
tended for by those, who seek entire con- 
formity to the order of the primitive church. 
Con. — "Was Calvin the first of the Ee- 
formers who sought to establish Presbyte- 
rianism according to the order of the prim- 
itive church ? I have thought, that per- 
haps this gave rise to the idea, that he 



THE REFORMERS- 255 

originated it. If lie was the first of the 
Reformers who adopted it, the more igno- 
rant might conclude that it originated with 
him. 

Min. — The allegation that Presbyterian- 
ism originated with Calvin, has not even 
that foundation. Ulric Zuingle, the 
leader of the Reformation in Switzerland, 
who lived long before Calvin, and died be- 
fore ever Calvin saw Geneva, or had ap- 
peared among the prominent Reformers, 
thus speaks on the subject of Ruling El- 
ders : " The title of Presbyter, or Elder, 
as used in Scripture, is not rightly under- 
stood by those, who consider it as applica- 
ble only to those who preside in preaching : 
for it is evident, that the term is also some- 
times used to designate Elders of another 
kind, that is, Senators, Leaders, or Coun- 
sellors." 

(Ecolampadius, whom D' Aubigne in his 
history mentions as one of the bright stars 
of the Reformation, and who was contem- 
porary with Luther, but died before Calvin 
came on the stage of action, thus speaks 
of Ruling Elders : " But it is evident, that 
those which are here intended, are certain 
Seniors or Elders, such as were in the 
apostles' days, and who of old time were 
called JPresbuteroi, whose judgment, being 
that of the most prudent part of the church, 



256 PRESBYTERIANISM OF 

was considered as the decision of the whole 
church." The testimony of Bucer, Lasco, 
Peter Martyr, and others, is equally clear 
as to the fact, that Presbyterianism was 
one of the grand principles of the Refor- 
mation. Luther, himself, in speaking of 
the Bohemian church, says : " There hath 
not arisen any people since the times of 
the apostles, whose church hath come 
nearer to the apostolic doctrine and order, 
than the brethren of Bohemia. * * * 
In the ordinary discipline of the church 
they use, and whereby they happily go- 
vern the churches, they go far beyond us, 
and are in this respect far more praise- 
worthy." Now, in view of the fact before 
stated, that the Bohemian Church was 
strictly Presbyterian, the sentiments of 
Luther are plain. Melancthon, Farel, 
Viret and others might be added to the 
list of eminent Reformers, who all agree 
on the great principles of Presbyterianism, 
viz : equality of rank among ministers, 
and the government of the church by Min- 
isters and Elders. 

Calvin, when he first settled at Geneva, 
found the church there in great need of 
discipline, and for attempting to establish 
a system that would exclude gross offenders 
from the sealing ordinances of the church, 
he was banished tromthe city, and retired 



THE REFORMERS. 257 

to Strasburg. "While there, feeling the 
great want of some regular system of 
church discipline, he opened a correspon- 
dence with some of the principal men of 
the Bohemian church. Comenius, in his 
history of the Bohemians, gives some ex- 
tracts from some of his letters, in which 
he speaks in high terms of their form of 
church government, as being not only wise 
and wholesome, but also in accordance with 
the apostolic order. Near four years after- 
wards he was recalled to Geneva, and 
made it one of the conditions of his ac- 
cepting the pastoral charge of the church, 
that he should be permitted to have a 
bench of Elders, to conduct the discipline 
of the church, according to the plan in 
use among the Bohemians. Thus, Pres- 
byterianism was established in Geneva, 
and became general in the Eeformed 
Churches in Switzerland, Germany, Hol- 
land, France, Hungary, Scotland, and 
throughout Europe generally, with the ex- 
ception of England. 

I Con. — Why was it not received and 
adopted in England ? 

Min. — In the reformation from Popery 
in England, the kings and bishops most- 
ly took the lead. To them, as a matter of 
course, the simple republicanism of the 
Presbyterian system would not be agreea- 
22* 



258 PRESBYTERIANISM OF 

ble. Ecclesiastical pre-eminence had long 
been established, and it is not surprising 
that they should wish to retain it. Ac- 
cordingly, while they adopted the system 
of doctrine taught by the Reformers gen- 
erally, they retained many of the features 
of Popery in their system of church go- 
vernment. This, however, was contrary 
to the expressed opinion of many of their 
most learned and pious divines. Not a 
few of the brightest stars of the Church of 
England have given their decided opinion 
in favour of Presbyterianism. The truly 
venerable and pious Dr. Owen, gives his 
opinion on 1 Tim. v. 17, in the following 
unequivocal language : " This is a text of 
uncontrollable evidence, if it had anything 
to conflict withal, but prejudice and inter- 
est. A rational man, who is unprejudiced, 
who never heard of the controversy about 
Ruling Elders, can hardly avoid an appre- 
hension, that there were two sorts of El- 
ders, some who labour in the word and 
doctrine, and some who do not so do. The 
truth is, it was interest and prejudice which 
first caused some learned men to strain 
their wits to find out evasions from the 
evidence of this testimony. Being found 
out, some others of meaner abilities have 
been entangled by them. * * * There 
are, then, Elders in the church. There 



THE REFORMERS. 259 

are, or ought to be so, in every church. 
"With these Elders the whole rule of the 
church is entrusted. All these, and only 
they, do rule in it." This, from an Inde- 
pendent divine of so much eminence and 
piety as Dr. Owen, is as strong human tes- 
timony in favour of Presbyterianism, as 
any one can wish. Dr. Whitely bears the 
same testimony, in language equally plain, 
Thorndike, Whitaker, and others, clearly 
express the same opinion ; and even Arch- 
bishop Cranmer, once proposed the intro- 
duction of Ruling Elders into the Church 
of England. Prom all this testimony it is 
plain, that though Prelacy was established 
in the national church, many of her most 
eminent men were in favour of Presbyte- 
rianism, as being in accordance with apos- 
tolic order. I have purposely avoided 
quoting the opinions of Presbyterians, be- 
cause they might be considered partial to 
their own system. But when we find the 
system supported by the arguments of 
Episcopalians and Independents, partiality 
to Presbyterianism cannot be alleged. I 
might add testimony, equally plain, from 
many others, both Episcopalians and Inde- 
pendents, but I think I have said enough 
to convince you, that the order of the 
Presbyterian church, as well as her doc- 
trine, is in accordance with the Bible and 



260 PRESBYTERIANISM OF THE REFORMERS. 

common sense, and has received the suf- 
frages of the wise and good in every age. 
Did time permit, it would be a pleasant 
task to trace with you the history of the 
Presbyterian church more at large. Mil- 
lions of her martyrs have sealed the truth 
of her doctrines with their blood; and 
though persecuted in every age, she still 
lives, and witnesses for the truth. But 
for this I must refer you to history. 



THE END. 



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